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Stephanie Mullaley, a substitute teacher in the Clinton Community School District in Iowa, was fired after offering students extra credit for donating to her personal GoFundMe campaign aimed at raising $1,800 for a trip to Ecuador. Administrative Law Judge Duane Golden denied Mullaley’s request for unemployment benefits, stating that she pressured students to donate money, which violated the district’s ethics policy. The judge found that her actions showed a “willful or wanton disregard” of the school’s interests, rendering her ineligible for benefits.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-30,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Stephanie Mullaley, a full-time substitute teacher at the Clinton Community School District in Iowa, was fired in May 2025 after offering students extra credit to donate money to her personal GoFundMe page. The donations were intended to fund a medical mission trip to Ecuador. During a hearing about her unemployment benefits request, Administrative Law Judge Duane Golden revealed that Mullaley shared her "personal education goals" with her pupils and promised them extra credit if they contributed to the fundraiser. Although some students donated money, she only managed to raise $140 out of her target $1800 before the campaign was deleted. The district terminated Mullaley's employment after discovering that she used her position to pressure students into donating funds, violating the district’s ethics policy.
Written for “Teacher Fired Over GoFundMe Extra Credit” on 2026-10-04,
grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.
An Iowa high school substitute teacher was fired after offering students extra credit in exchange for cash donations to a personal GoFundMe.
asserted
teacher → fire → GoFundMe
Stephanie Mullaley was a full-time substitute teacher for the Clinton Community School District until she was fired in May over violations of the district’s ethics policy, the Iowa Capital Dispatch reported.
uncertain
Dispatch → fire → policy
During a recent hearing related to Mullaley’s request for unemployment benefits, Administrative Law Judge Duane Golden said the educator set up a GoFundMe to help fund her “personal education goals.”
asserted
educator → relate → goals
Mullaley reportedly shared those goals with her students during the 2025-26 school year — and told her pupils they could donate to the GoFundMe to earn extra credit toward their grade.
uncertain
they → share → grade
Some of Mullaley’s students contributed to the fundraiser, according to Golden, who said the district eventually discovered that she was “using her position as a teacher to pressure students to donate funds” and fired her.
uncertain
she → contribute → her
The judge denied Mullaley’s request for unemployment benefits, arguing that her actions amounted to job-related misconduct.
asserted
actions → deny → misconduct
He argued that Mullaley showed a “willful or wanton disregard” of the school district’s interests — making her ultimately ineligible for benefits.
asserted
her → argue → benefits
Mullaley “promised high school students in her class that they would receive extra credit toward their grade in their class if they donated to her GoFundMe account.
asserted
they → promise → account
Students felt pressured to donate money to her personal GoFundMe,” Golden said.
asserted
Golden → pressure → GoFundMe
In the GoFundMe, which reportedly had a target of $1,800, Mullaley wrote that the funds would be used to pay for “a unique opportunity to travel to Ecuador” with her husband in July 2026, according to the report.
uncertain
funds → have → report
She indicated on the fundraising page that she would be “interpreting for a medical mission team (and) helping bridge language barriers so that care and compassion can reach those who need it most.”
asserted
who → indicate → it
She added that her husband would be “assisting the team in any way he can.”
The donations would be used to pay for “transportation, including flights, buses, and boats, food and hotel accommodations,” she wrote.
asserted
she → add → flights
She reportedly received a total of $140 through six donations ranging from $5 to $50.
uncertain
She → receive → 50
The Independent ‘s attempts to contact Mullaley were unsuccessful.
asserted
attempts → contact → Mullaley
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