Derrick Coleman wants to serve as superintendent of the financially troubled Detroit school district but in his current job as a school boss he approved $180,000 worth of out-of-state travel for teachers and administrators.
According to the Motor City Muckraker website, the River Rouge school superintendent authorized trips to conferences in Las Vegas, Seattle and Washington over the past three years.
During a weeklong conference in Las Vegas in July 2013, one of the nine participants purchased coconut tequila, vaginal lubrication and $32 worth of condoms at 1:47 a.m., according to travel receipts obtained by Motor City Muckraker. It’s unclear who purchased the party supplies, but Coleman said it wasn’t him.
Coleman
The district has sent as many as 11 employees to out-of-state conferences at a time. Records show they’ve used a limo once they reach their destination.
As first reported by WXYZ-TV, Coleman claims the limo was cheaper than taxis.
The River Rouge district, with just 1,400 students, has faced budget woes for several years. Coleman, one of two finalists for superintendent of the Detroit Public Schools Community District, was interviewed for the job on Monday.
According to WXYZ, Coleman approved $100,000 in travel in the 2013-14 school year when River Rouge had a $1 million deficit.
The superintendent said the trips allowed teachers to attend workshops that are not available in Michigan. The money used to pay for the travel consisted of federal funds dedicated to things like professional development and teacher recruitment.
