Nebraska auditor alleges Norfolk school official falsified documents to get funding
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – An associate superintendent has been accused of falsifying documents in an attempt to secure funds from a federal grant program.
State Auditor Mike Foley released a letter Thursday detailing his office’s investigation into Bill Robinson, the Norfolk Public School District’s associate superintendent.
Bill Robinson, courtesy Norfolk Public School District
Earlier this year, the district asked for over $5,000 under a federal subgrant, but the Nebraska Department of Education rejected the request because it had been submitted too late.
After another failed attempt at getting the funds, Robinson told the department that the original documentation had an error, according to the state auditor’s office.
The next day, Robinson submitted “new” documentation, which the department also denied. The document’s information appeared to have been altered, the state auditor’s office said.
During an investigation, the auditor’s office asked for the documents, but the district gave them the original submission, not the “new,” possibly falsified paperwork.
Robinson was seeking the money as a reimbursement for expenses already approved by the school board.
Investigators also found irregularities in how Robinson submitted those expenses to the board.
The information gathered in the investigation is being sent to authorities for further review, the auditor’s office said.
“The documents that my office believes to have been falsified constitute public records, making that alleged activity both criminal and particularly disgusting,” Foley said in a press release. “It is so important for public officials to remember that their actions reflect upon not only themselves but also the entities that they represent. Such cognizance is all the more essential when the reputations of our schools are at stake – the very institutions responsible for setting an example for our youth and teaching them to be responsible, trustworthy citizens.”
