Former TPS Superintendent Deborah Gist knew of embezzlement months before it was reported, new audit documents suggest

Newly obtained audit documents suggest former Tulsa Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Deborah Gist may have known about an embezzlement scheme within the district at least six months before police were notified.

The documents, released to the investigative news outlet The Frontier, indicate that Gist and other district administrators secretly coordinated the exit of former TPS employee Devon Fletcher before the fraud was ever reported.

A 66-page memo from the Oklahoma State Auditor’s Office sheds new light on the leadership and culture within the district during Gist’s tenure. The state audit was initiated in 2022 at the request of Gov. Kevin Stitt, following concerns that public funds may have been misused.

Fletcher, who previously worked as the Chief Learning Officer, was sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison for wire fraud after admitting to stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from TPS and its Foundation.

According to the audit memo, Gist appeared to coordinate Fletcher’s departure in secret—well before the embezzlement was made public or reported to authorities. The memo shows that state investigators found inconsistencies in the email records provided by the district. For example, the state requested all emails between Dr. Gist and Fletcher from 2016 to 2022. The memo says they received six emails from that timeframe, calling it "concerning".

Audit Investigators questioned the secrecy of Fletcher’s exit in the memo: “If Fletcher’s plans to leave the district were not prompted by the discovery of questionable vendor practices, then why did TPS act in secrecy about the transition?”

In response, Tulsa Public Schools tells News On 6 that it "operated in a spirit of cooperation throughout the audit at the consistent guidance of district leaders. District leadership was aware that former-employee Mr. Fletcher was seeking his next opportunity for many months during the 2021-22 school year. As was publicly reported around that time, he was a candidate for a superintendency in Cincinnati. This independent action by an individual former-employee had no relation to the revelations that led the district to open an investigation into his other activities. Any assertion to the contrary is patently false."

Audit Investigators questioned the secrecy of Fletcher’s exit in the memo: “If Fletcher’s plans to leave the district were not prompted by the discovery of questionable vendor practices, then why did TPS act in secrecy about the transition?”

The documents also allege that Gist violated district policies, including accepting vendor-paid trips, hiring contractors without board approval, and altering district policy without the Board of Education’s input. These alleged violations span from 2015 to 2023.

Gist stepped down as superintendent in September 2023 amid a political dispute with State Superintendent Ryan Walters.

As of now, Gist and other former TPS administrators have not been charged with any crimes related to the audit’s findings.

News On 6 reached out to Dr. Gist for comment, but did not hear back. We also contacted her current employer, the University of Tulsa, where she serves as an advisor. As of this publication, we have not received a response.

Additional Response From Tulsa Public Schools:

1. In the closed case involving former employee Devin Fletcher, we are grateful that authorities helped bring this individual to justice and protect Tulsa’s taxpayers and the intended beneficiaries of these funds: Tulsa Public Schools students.
2. We are similarly grateful for the hundreds of thousands of dollars returned to Tulsa’s taxpayers through insurance compensation awarded to Tulsa Public Schools, as well as the financial restitution owed by the perpetrator as a result of the verdict in this case.
3. The district did not wait for the results of the audit to institute improved internal controls to prevent such a crime from occurring again in the future. Since the audit began nearly 3 years ago, Tulsa Public Schools has been proactively instituting strong internal controls, procedures, and standards aligned with recognized best practices, and reorganized staffing structures.

Previous Coverage:

1. Oklahoma's Own In Focus: Detailing Tulsa Public Schools' Wire Fraud Case Involving A Former Administrator
2. Former TPS Admin Sentenced To Prison For Wire Fraud, Ordered To Pay $593K In Restitution
3. Tulsa Public Schools audit released after 2 weeks: Here's what we learned
4. Tulsa Public School officials react to audit report findings
5. Audit of Tulsa Public Schools stalled—Here’s what led to the investigation