A lawsuit filed by two former employees of Saint Paul Public Schools accuses Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) Superintendent Joe Gothard of mismanaging taxpayer dollars while leading the Minnesota school district, according to the Wisconsin State Journal. Gothard led Saint Paul Public Schools from 2017 until early 2024; he was hired by the MMSD board in February.
Marie Schrul and Curtis Mahanay’s accusations include:
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That Gothard allocated funds into the general operating budget that had been earmarked for particular purposes;
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That he did not take enrollment declines and budget deficits seriously;
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That he used taxpayer money to spend $10,000 on food trucks for a party exclusive to invited school district employees;
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That he used pandemic relief money to fund employee gifts; and
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That he did not take action when construction and maintenance projects in the district exceeded the budget by $179 million.
Schrul and Mahanay say they were fired after they repeatedly raised concerns over Saint Paul Public Schools’ spending practices and state law compliance.
MMSD’s communications office declined to comment on the lawsuit. School Board President Nichelle Nichols voiced confidence in Gothard’s leadership and said that no district operations will change in response to the lawsuit, but the board “will respond accordingly” if necessary.
