Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Public High School Principal Who Charged $100K To School Credit Card Resigns
The principal of Woodland Hills' El Camino Real Charter High School formally resigned on Wednesday, concluding a months long scandal over an enormous sum of school money spent on (extremely) non-academic purposes, according to the L.A. Daily News. Over a course of three years, former principal David Fehte managed to spend more than $100,000 of school money frivoled away on things like $100 bottles of wine, $400 luxury hotel rooms and $1,890 first-class tickets to Hawaii. Five of the school's seven board members will also be resigning in the next four months.
The trouble at El Camino was first revealed in warning issued by LAUSD back in October of 2015. When the Daily News followed up with an investigation into the school's finances, the paper learned that an enormous amount of ostensibly public money had been spent on items and services that served no educational purpose. Among the charges listed above, Fehte charged $15,500 at Monty's Prime Steak & Seafood restaurant to his school-issued credit card. El Camino hired a private investigator to scrutinize the school's financial records in June.
As the gravity of the mismanagement became more evident, LAUSD offered the El Camino a stiff ultimatum: get your house in order, or lose your charter and revert back to district control. This process began in August, and played out as a back-and-forth between the district and the school on terms and conditions that would enable the school to retain its charter status. The district argued El Camino wasn't adhering to proper transparency and accounting procedures, and El Camino officials retorted that they were.
That process didn't go very well, and LAUSD nearly issued formal "intention to revoke" El Camino's charter status on October 18. Nevertheless, the school and the LAUSD board reached a last minute agreement on the same day that allows El Camino Real High School to continue operating as a charter school.
Support for LAist comes from
Per the terms of the agreement, Principal David Fehte was to immediately resign, followed by five of the school's seven board members over the next few months. The agreement also allows LAUSD to appoint a person of its choice to the school's board, requires board meetings to be held in open sessions, and includes higher standards of finincial accountability.
LAUSD, of course, doesn't technically have any rules governing how school staff and administrators are supposed to use credit cards. As LAUSD's central business adviser Aaron Eairleywine explained to the Daily News in June, "there is nothing here that indicates they have done anything outside the law."
According to El Camino officials, Fehte has reimbursed the school approximately $6,000 for "inadvertent personal" expenses made on his school-issued American Express card. In a written statement, Fehte explained, "I am personally disappointed with the unnecessary way that the media chose to unjustly sensationalize ECR operational inefficiencies." 🙄 .
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The union representing the restaurant's workers announced Tuesday that The Pantry will welcome back patrons Thursday after suddenly shutting down six months ago. -
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake.
-
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
Best of LAist