A whistle-blower whose allegations sparked a federal investigation of the District of Columbia’s charter school program has been barred from volunteering at the D.C. Council while he sits at home on leave.
The Board of Education put Steve Kapani on administrative leave in June after federal authorities raided the board’s charter school offices and the home of then-charter school executive Brenda Belton.
Tommy Wells, formerly of the School Board and now the Democratic District Council member for Ward 6, called Kapani last week and asked him to come in as a volunteer.
“It’s crunch time in my office,” Wells said. “Steve has expertise as a financial analyst.”
School Board general counsel Abbie Hairston told Kapani that volunteering at Wells’ office would be a conflict of interest because Wells supports Mayor Adrian Fenty’s proposed school takeover, Wells said.
Hairston declined comment for this story.
“You can print anything you want as long as it’s not defamatory,” she said, before hanging up the phone on an Examiner reporter.
Wells said he was “disgusted” by the board’s treatment of Kapani.
“He’s not on administrative leave for any wrongdoing,” Wells said. “The fact that he’s still at home … is ridiculous.”
Kapani has been paid nearly $59,000 since June, city records show.
He went to the D.C. Inspector General last year, alleging that Belton was shuffling money to herself, her friends and her family through a series of companies. Belton is now the target of a federal grand jury investigation probing her office. The School Board fired her in October.
The board put Belton and Kapani on leave on the same day. Wells said he agreed to put Kapani on leave “to protect him from higher-ups.”
Others on the School Board had a different idea. Then-board President Peggy Cooper Cafritz and Vice President Carolyn Graham — a friend of Belton’s who helped her obtain money for some of the companies Kapani named — wanted Kapani fired.
“He had knowledge of this long before he came forward,” Cafritz told The Examiner in October. “That’s my beef with Steve.”
Kapani’s lawyer, Mona Lyons, refused comment for this story.
In January, Lyons threatened to sue the city on Kapani’s behalf.
“It’s harmful to Steve and it’s costing the taxpayers thousands of dollars, for which they’regetting nothing,” Lyons said at the time. “And it has a chilling effect on other workers who are going to turn the other way when they see wrongful conduct, because the price you pay is high.”
No friend left behind?
Key moments in the investigation of the charter schools scandal
» Late December 2005: Brenda Belton allegedly altered an e-mail sent by her financial analyst, Steve Kapani, inflating his cost estimate from $5,000 to $55,000.
» Late January/early February 2006: D.C. Public Charter School Board officials called Belton’s secretary, Mary Bunn, asking for invoices to justify $307,000 in No Child Left Behind funds that Belton had spent. Neither Bunn nor Kapani had heard of the funds.
» Early March 2006: Belton insisted Kapani give the passwords to his voicemail and computer. He refused and Belton had the passwords changed — allegedly on the request of Board of Education Vice President Carolyn Graham.
» Mid-March 2006: Kapani told the board he suspected Belton was funneling money to friends and to herself. He notified the D.C. Inspector General.
» May 31, 2006: The FBI raided Belton’s office and home and the Public Charter School Board offices.
» Early June 2006: Belton and Kapani put on administrative leave.
» Early October 2006: Belton was notified that she is the target of a grand jury investigation.
» Oct. 16, 2006: The Board of Education voted to fire Belton.
» Oct 24, 2006: Bunn was placed on administrative leave after admitting she altered a memo.
» January 2007: Kapani’s lawyer, Mona Lyons, sends a letter threatening to sue the city for violating whistle-blower laws.
