Iowa Substitute Teacher Fired Over Extra Credit Donation Scandal

A substitute teacher in Iowa lost her job after telling students they could earn extra credit if they donated money to her online fundraiser for a family trip to Ecuador.

Stephanie Mullaley was fired on May 29 from her role as a full-time, long-term substitute high school teacher with the Clinton Community School District. The Iowa Capital Dispatch reports she allegedly violated district ethics rules by asking for personal funds from pupils.

Administrative Law Judge Duane Golden presided over a hearing regarding Mullaley's request for unemployment benefits. He found that during the 2025-26 school year, Mullaley shared her personal education goals with her class and linked them to donations. Court documents state she told students she had set up a GoFundMe page to help cover costs for her trip. She further claimed she offered extra credit toward grades if those same students made contributions.

Some students actually did donate money based on this arrangement, according to Judge Golden's findings. District officials eventually discovered Mullaley was using her authority as an educator to pressure students into giving funds. The judge denied her unemployment claim because he deemed the act of offering extra credit for donations to be job-related misconduct. He argued her actions showed a willful or wanton disregard for the employer's interests.

Mullaley had promised high school students in her class they would receive bonus points if they gave money to her GoFundMe account, the judge concluded. Students felt pressured to donate cash to her personal fundraising page, he added. This behavior rendered her ineligible for benefits under state law.

Records obtained by the Iowa Capital Dispatch show a Stephanie Mullaley of Clinton launched a GoFundMe campaign earlier this year. She described the project as a unique opportunity to travel to Ecuador with her husband in July 2026. The page stated she would be interpreting for a medical mission team and helping bridge language barriers so care could reach those who need it most. Her husband planned to assist the team in any way he can.

Donations were intended to pay for transportation, including flights, buses and boats, food and hotel accommodations. Mullaley promoted the fundraiser on social media platforms. On February 26 she posted that a plan formed a year prior had become real after receiving an official invitation at the end of 2025. She wrote it feels like a blessing to have an opportunity to serve a community in need of medical service and utilize her skills. She noted God put this in place for them and they were answering the call.

She added she hoped to have support from readers and understood if people could not contribute financially, asking just to keep them in prayers. The fundraiser had a goal of raising $1,800 but only netted $140 through six donations before activity on the account was paused. It remains unclear whether the couple actually went on the mission trip.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Mullaley and the Clinton Community School District for comment on the situation.