An Iowa teacher allegedly offered students extra credit for donating to her Ecuador trip, then she got fired and tried to claim unemployment

Stephanie Mullaley lost her job as a long-term substitute teacher at Clinton Community School District in Iowa after allegedly offering students extra credit in exchange for donations to her personal GoFundMe page. The situation came to a head when Mullaley applied for unemployment benefits following her firing in May 2024, only for a judge to deny the request after uncovering the nature of her conduct.

As reported by Unilad, according to the findings of Administrative Law Judge Duane Golden, Mullaley promised her high school students that they would receive extra credit toward their grades if they donated to her online fundraiser. After going through the details, the judge noted that students felt pressured to contribute money to her personal page. 

The GoFundMe campaign was created to fund a trip to Ecuador for Mullaley and her husband. In the now-deleted post, she reportedly described the trip as a way to support her personal educational goals. She explained that she intended to interpret for a medical mission team to help bridge language barriers, while her husband planned to assist the team as well. 

Her GoFundMe page was later removed 

The funds were intended to cover transportation costs like flights, buses, and boats, along with food and hotel accommodations. Mullaley also reported shared the fundraiser on Facebook to drum up more support. She wrote, “Nick and I are embarking on a journey this summer with a medical mission group. This was only a thought a year ago, and it became real when we got an official invitation end of 2025.” 

She continued by saying, “Feels like a blessing to have an opportunity to serve a community in need of medical service and utilize my skills and serve. God put this in place for us, and we’re answering it. Hope to have your support, and if you can’t financially, we understand and just keep us in your prayers.”

Despite her efforts, the fundraiser did not reach its goal of $1,800. By the time the page was removed, she had reportedly raised only $140, which consisted of six donations ranging from $5 to $50. The truth about these actions emerged during a hearing regarding her application for unemployment benefits, as Iowa Capital Dispatch reports.

Judge Golden was firm in his decision, stating that Mullaley showed a wilful or wanton disregard for the interests of her employer. Because of this behavior, she was deemed ineligible for unemployment benefits under Iowa law.