News·Oct 3, 2026
Iowa Teacher Fired After Offering Students Extra Credit to Donate to Her GoFundMe
An administrative law judge denied Stephanie Mullaley's unemployment claim after finding she pressured students for donations toward a personal trip.
Stephanie Mullaley, a longtime substitute teacher in Iowa's Clinton Community School District, was fired in May 2026 after officials determined she offered students extra credit for donating to a personal GoFundMe she'd created to help fund a medical mission trip with her husband, according to CafeMom, citing the Iowa Capital Dispatch.
Administrative Law Judge Duane Golden, who presided over Mullaley's subsequent unemployment benefits hearing, found that she took advantage of her position to pressure students into donating and denied her claim. According to court documents, six students donated toward the fundraiser, netting Mullaley a total of $140 before the district fired her and her GoFundMe was paused.
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