An Iowa substitute teacher was fired after offering students extra credit for donating to a fundraiser for a medical mission trip to Ecuador with her husband.
Stephanie Mullaley worked as a full-time, long-term substitute teacher for Clinton Community School District until she was dismissed on May 29, 2026, for violating its ethics policy.
The circumstances emerged in September after an administrative law judge reviewed her request for unemployment benefits, according to the Iowa Capital Dispatch.
Teacher denied unemployment benefits over donation scheme
During the school year, Mullaley discussed her educational goals with students. That spring, she told them they could earn extra credit by contributing to her personal GoFundMe, according to Judge Duane Golden’s findings.
Some students donated. The district subsequently discovered the arrangement and fired her.
“Students felt pressured to donate money to her personal GoFundMe page,” Golden concluded.
He denied Mullaley unemployment benefits, finding that her conduct amounted to job-related misconduct.
The fundraiser sought $1,800 to help Mullaley and her husband travel to Ecuador in July. She said she would interpret for a medical mission team while her husband helped with other tasks. Contributions would cover transportation, meals and accommodation.
The campaign raised $140 through six donations before activity was paused.
As reported by the New York Post, Mullaley also promoted the trip on Facebook, saying the couple received an official invitation at the end of 2025.
“God put this in place for us, and we’re answering it,” she wrote.
Other educators have lost their jobs after their online activity reached school administrators. In 2023, a teacher was fired after posting TikTok jokes about dropping “milky farts” on students, while streamer BlueSquadron said he was dismissed after former guild members shared his Twitch clips with colleagues.
In a separate case, an Ohio principal forced to resign after taking in a homeless student said he would make the same decision again.
