RICHMOND, Va. — Richmond Public Schools (RPS) is not revealing much about an internal investigation into allegations of mismanagement inside the department responsible for maintaining school buildings. In response to a request for public records, RPS blacked out a majority of the requested information.
Last month, CBS 6 learned RPS' facilities director Bobby Hathaway parted ways with the district. RPS did not explain why or confirm the nature of his departure, but sources told CBS 6 it came amid an investigation into allegations against him.
So, CBS 6 filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for records related to the probe. The school district then provided heavily redacted documents which withheld key findings, complaint allegations, and even some recommendations from public view.
However, RPS did release bits of details throughout the investigation report which revealed operational failures.
According to the report, investigators uncovered purchase card account misuse, including that non-facilities personnel used the department's account for purchases at Lowe's.
They found the facilities department relied on an "honor system" for "staff-wide use" of the p-card, which investigators said was a "detrimental accountability gap."
Further, the report referred to "inventory and asset mismanagement." Investigators said aspects of a new work order system were "completely ignored" and materials were not properly recorded and stored.
The report said a lack of protocols "created an environment susceptible to loss and misuse of assets."
The report referenced "financial investigation findings," but that section was among the information RPS redacted, leaving the details hidden from public view.
Moving forward, investigators recommended operational reforms and a forensic investigation into all facilities department purchases to determine the "full scope of financial impact."
The rest of the information contained in the report, RPS chose not to disclose under a discretionary FOIA exemption that protects "personnel information."
“The personnel exemption was never designed and never intended to cover up wrongdoing by public employees, particularly when that wrongdoing has to do with the misappropriation of public funds or taxpayer dollars," said FOIA expert and transparency advocate Megan Rhyne, executive director of the Virginia Coalition for Open Government.
Rhyne said the personnel exemption should instead apply to things like human resources issues or performance evaluations. She believes RPS' use of it in this case is overly broad.
“Looking at those documents, there are some employees who are named here and there. So it's not even used consistently, and it's hard to believe that personnel is being used to justify withholding recommendations," Rhyne said.
When asked about the redactions, RPS spokesperson Alyssa Schwenk said, “The Division must balance public interest and legal obligations to current and former employees. Our consistent practice is to protect information directly concerning personnel.”
CBS 6 also asked the school board chair and vice chair, Shavonda Fernandez and Matthew Percival, whether they believed the redactions were appropriate. We did not receive a response.
Rhyne added it's further "troubling" RPS is shielding this information after a court ruled in 2024 that the district improperly withheld its investigation report of the Huguenot High School graduation shooting. At the time, CBS 6 and the Richmond Times-Dispatch sued RPS for violating FOIA.
The judge's ruling eventually forced the report's public release. In that case, RPS relied on a different FOIA exemption when it initially withheld the report.
“It does seem rather odd to me that they would take the same position," Rhyne said.
CBS 6 requested comment from Hathaway for this story, but he declined.
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