The investigator tasked with looking into allegations of misconduct and financial mismanagement in Prince George’s County Public Schools says school leaders — both in the superintendent’s office and on the school board — continue to throw up roadblocks and make his job harder.
It’s to the point that Integrity and Compliance Officer Frank Turner says things have moved from “resistance” to “discomfort” with his role in providing oversight for the Maryland school system.
Turner has been on the job for almost a year. His position was created under state law, and while his job technically falls within the school system, his office is in Largo and he operates independently of anyone else.
“Inspector generals have always existed, and they continue to develop and become more prominent,” Turner said. “This is the way of the future … to make sure that abuse is not taking place — to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse.”
But he said efforts to investigate allegations within the school system in Prince George’s County keep running into roadblocks.
“We’re still running into the school system not accepting the full law in its entirety,” Turner said.
He said his office spent months working with the superintendent’s office over the wording of a new administrative procedure that lays out where employees are supposed to report concerns about “financial impropriety, improper conduct, and whistleblower protections.”
That rule was updated on July 1, after Turner’s office was created, but he said it wasn’t until last week that the procedure was updated to reflect that employees could turn to his office, instead of the school system’s Internal Audit Office.
Turner said he believes an office that reports to the school board can’t exercise independent oversight.
“The system has gone for decades without having any independent, outside oversight,” he said. “It’s simply not used to this.”
He said once current school board member Lolita Walker took over as chair in July, things became totally different.
“Everything is — the attorneys need to be involved,” Turner said. “I’m actually working on getting a contract through to bring on an attorney as well. And all this is doing is costing more money, because we’re just trying to get to the place where we can do real oversight here.”
In a statement emailed to WTOP, Walker called Turner’s claim of not being cooperative false, adding that it “comes as a surprise.” She cited a meeting between Turner and her staff as an example of cooperation, though his perception of her attendance was viewed differently. Walker was not available to speak for an actual interview.
“I, as the chair of the board of education, am and will continue to be fully compliant with the law,” Walker said.
A spokeswoman for Prince George’s County Public Schools said the school system is committed to cooperating with Turner’s office, and “its important role of ensuring accountability, transparency, and integrity within the school system.” However, the statement also said changes to administrative procedures, including the one Turner spent months trying to tweak, don’t need approval from his office.
“The Offices will continue to review and respond to any recommendations from the Office of Integrity and Compliance,” the statement read. “With the guidance of the district’s content experts and legal counsel, we remain committed to addressing stakeholder concerns to ensure the best outcomes for our students, staff, and community.”
Despite his frustrations, Turner said there have been some “baby steps” of progress made in other areas, and he hopes to be able to issue reports that praise the school system in the future.
“I’m not sure what the overarching concern is about letting me communicate, or my office communicate freely within the system, to be able to do what it’s supposed to do with oversight,” Turner said.
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