TULSA, Okla. — The two Tulsa Public Schools board members who called for an audit into the district's finances are speaking out after the audit results were released.
"What I hope for is that everybody that stole from children, I’m not talking about stole from a district, I’m talking about stole from the children in many ways. I hope and pray they are in orange jumpsuits and red bottoms on and having a good time at the end of the day," said Jennettie Marshall, one of the TPS board members.
Her words are strong against the district's handling of its finances as she recounts her eight years on the district's board.
She and fellow board member E’lena Ashley requested the audit in 2022.
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This came after Chief Talent and Equity Officer Devon Fletcher was accused of "questionable contracts." After defrauding TPS and the Foundation for Tulsa Public Schools, Fletcher was sentenced for conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
"Corruption is easy to happen if nobody’s on the watch," said Marshall.
She said this was part of the reason she signed the letter requesting the audit.
Marshall criticized the board and the district’s financial committee for continuing a pattern.
This pattern is something Marshall and Ashley outlined in their letter to Governor Stitt in 2022. The board members said they still see the same financial practices under the new leadership.
"I don’t know what kind of business but runs itself bankrupt which is what we’ve witnessed and continue to witness in Tulsa," said Marshall.
After the audit went public, 2 News was there as Superintendent Ebony Johnson spoke about the results.
"We welcome the ability to exercise what we call continuous improvement," Johnson said.
Some other TPS board members criticized the audit for not factoring in the changes the district says it’s made.
"Some of the things they’re talking about in these audits are things that we’ve had mistakes on that we have corrected as they went along," said TPS board member John Criosant.
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Community members and leaders also spoke up at Marshall and Ashley’s press conference.
One of the community members asked Ashley and Marshall if they were looking into requesting a forensic audit.
"Yes, we need a full forensic audit, which would be inclusive of auditing the practices and everything else just going on in the district," said Marshal.
The audit’s results were sent to the attorney general’s office, where he'll decide to take any legal action.
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