Marie Schrul, who was ousted as chief financial officer of St. Paul Public Schools in 2022 over the protests of parents and budget watchdogs, is suing the district, alleging it retaliated against her for calling out misuses of public funds. She’s joined by Curtis Mahanay, a former colleague who was let go on the same day, as plaintiffs in the whistleblower lawsuit filed Wednesday in Ramsey County District Court.
The two allege in the 54-page document that district officials repeatedly chafed at their strict adherence to spending rules, and among the chief critics was former Superintendent Joe Gothard. “Marie, you guys are always looking for a gotcha,” Gothard is quoted as saying in a conversation about the district’s beleagured long-term facilities plan. At the time of her dismissal, Gothard suggested Schrul was not the right person for a newly-fashioned finance job.
But the lawsuit alleges the position was essentially the same and that the district simply wanted a “team player.” St. Paul schools said it does not comment on pending legal matters.
But it noted its outside auditor issued a clean or unmodified assessment of fiscal year 2023 — “the most favorable audit opinion a school district can receive.” Gothard, now the schools chief in his hometown of Madison, Wis., did not respond to a request for comment.
His administration won accolades for its handling of $319 million in COVID relief funds — helping propel him earlier this year to National Superinten.