That is 0 articles you have read today.
The Aporia is free and carries no advertising, so readers are the only
thing paying for it. If you are getting this much out of it, a small
donation is what keeps it independent.
Daily limit reached
You have read 0 articles today.
That is more than the 15 a day The Aporia gives away,
and well past what it can carry on nothing. Your allowance resets at
midnight.
There is no advertising here and nothing about you is sold, so readers
are the only thing paying for it. If the site is worth this much of
your day, it is worth a few dollars.
Everything else stays open: the
maps, the
directory and
search do
not count against this, and neither does re-opening something you have
already read today.
Stephanie Mullaley, an Iowa substitute teacher, was fired after asking students for donations to her GoFundMe page to fund a medical mission trip to Ecuador in exchange for extra credit. She promised them points towards their grades if they contributed, raising only $140 out of a goal of $1800 before the fundraiser was deleted. Administrative Law Judge Duane Golden ruled that Mullaley had shown "willful or wanton disregard" for her employer's interests and denied her unemployment benefits.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-01,
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 substitute teacher has been fired from her post for allegedly pressuring her students to help fund her "medical mission" to Ecuador.
uncertain
teacher → fire → Ecuador
Stephanie Mullaley promised them extra credit for donating to her GoFundMe page.
asserted
Mullaley → promise → page
Iowa Capital Dispatch reported that the trip was planned in July but her action came to notice that and she was removed in May.
uncertain
she → report → May
“(She) promised high school students in her class that they would receive extra credit toward their grade in her class if they donated to her GoFundMe account.
asserted
they → promise → account
Students felt pressured to donate money to her personal GoFundMe page,” Administrative Law Judge Duane Golden said.
asserted
Golden → pressure → page
Despite such arm-twisting, Mullaley could gather only $140 as against her target of $1800.
uncertain
Mullaley → gather → 1800
The fundraiser was deleted.
asserted
fundraiser → delete → ?
“Nick & I are embarking on a journey this summer with a medical mission group,” Mullaley wrote on a Facebook post alongside the link to the defunct fundraiser.
asserted
Mullaley → embark → fundraiser
“This was only a thought a year ago, and it became real when we got an official invitation end of 2025.
asserted
we → become → 2025
God put this in place for us, and we’re answering it,” she wrote.
asserted
she → put → it
“Hope to have your support, and if you can’t financially, we understand and just keep us in your prayers.”
asserted
we → hope → prayers
Mullaley pleaded with her students that the experience would “pay for her education” because it was a “unique opportunity to travel to Ecuador” where she would be interpreting the mission trip.
asserted
she → plead → trip
“Helping bridge language barriers so that care and compassion can reach those who need it most,” and that her husband would be “assisting the team in any way he can,” Mullaley wrote.
asserted
Mullaley → help → way
The judge denied ex-teacher unemployment benefits and said the teacher demonstrated a "willful or wanton disregard" of her employer's interests.
asserted
teacher → deny → interests
The Aporia
