Audit of Tulsa Public Schools stalled—Here’s what led to the investigation

Oklahoma State Auditor Cindy Byrd said the Tulsa Public Schools audit is complete, but said she can't release the findings yet.

Byrd called a press conference about the audit Tuesday but said lawyers for TPS are invoking a state law that allows a district to ask auditors to wait two weeks before publishing it.

"In my 28 years of conducting government audits, including countless school districts, no one has ever invoked this statute,” Byrd said.

The state's audit that was expected to be released Tuesday was in response to a request from Governor Kevin Stitt in July 2022.

News On 6's Tatum Guinn has a look back at how we got to this point today.

While the call for the audit was made in 2022, federal prosecutors said the district's troubles started years earlier.

July 7, 2022: “Today I am calling for a special audit of Tulsa Public Schools and the potential mishandling of public funds,” Governor Kevin Stitt announced in the summer of 2022.

Stitt asked the auditor's office to look into three things:

1. The district's use of $205 million in federal COVID relief money
2. Teacher training that Stitt says may have violated House Bill 1775, which banned the teaching of critical race theory
3. Stitt wanted auditors to look into a TPS internal investigation about the mishandling of public funds.

Summer of 2022 - An attorney for Tulsa Public Schools flagged evidence of fraud coming from inside the school district.

July 1, 2022: District leaders announced to the public they discovered $20,000 was missing. Former TPS Superintendent Dr. Deborah Gist said this at the time:

"It's a relatively small amount of money but anyone who knows me knows how deeply committed I am being a good steward of funds that are provided to us,” she said.

That investigation led TPS to Devin Fletcher, who is in prison right now for wire fraud after pleading guilty to stealing $600,000 from the district.

2018 - The details of Fletcher’s case date back several years. That's when prosecutors say Fletcher contracted a family member's business for consulting services, that never actually happened. Fletcher also created fake invoices and purchase orders, then pocketed the money and even used it to go on extravagant vacations. Prosecutors say Fletcher's actions went on until 2022, before TPS noticed red flags and started an investigation. He resigned weeks later.

Fall of 2022 – FBI takes over Fletcher’s case

October 2023 – Fletcher changes his plea to guilty

November 2024 – A federal judge sentences Fletcher to 30 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release

January 2025 - Fletcher’s lawyer says his time in federal prison started in January. Fletcher apologized and has promised to pay back the money.

Fletcher's attorney, Brett Swab, released the following statement on Tuesday

"Mr. Fletcher stands on his previous cooperation with the government and aiding for them to determine his role and culpability in this matter. We are confident and satisfied that he did provide all truthful information as it pertained to him and his acts. He maintains that he has taken full responsibility for his actions."

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