Fired RPS employee sues school district, alleges misuse of federal funds

The United States District Court in the Eastern District of Virginia is shown in this 2013 aerial view.

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A former Richmond Public Schools employee is suing the Richmond School Board in federal court after she allegedly tried to blow the whistle on the school division over what she termed its intent to misuse federal funds.

The suit was filed last week under the False Claims Act's anti-retaliation provision, which provides relief to whistleblowers who are retaliated against because they undertook efforts to stop an entity from engaging in practices which defraud the United States government.

Plaintiff Kara Williams was employed by RPS as its manager of the Head Start Program — a federally funded program that provides services to young children in low-income families. RPS fired Williams in January 2021 after Williams had repeatedly objected to violations of Head Start law and regulations, the suit alleges.

A school division spokesperson said the division does not comment on pending litigation.

The school division hired Williams in 2014 after she had worked for various Head Start programs for 19 years. Her job was to ensure compliance with Head Start policies and regulations as well as to prepare an annual budget.

Things went awry in October 2019, the suit says, when the school division hired Kristi D’Souza as its director of early childhood education and school readiness, a direct supervisory position to Williams’ role.

The suit alleges that from the time she was hired, D’Souza violated several Head Start laws and policies, and Williams repeatedly opposed those violations and attempts.

D’Souza in October 2019 proposed a merger of Head Start with the Virginia Preschool Initiative, which Williams believed to be a violation of Head Start's grant funding terms.

Among other alleged violations, the suit asserts that D’Souza also requested that an administrative office assistant for the Head Start program provide administrative services to duties outside of allowable uses for federally provided Head Start funds.

During a one-on-one meeting with D’Souza and Williams, D’Souza "stated that RPS could simply ‘manipulate’ the funding codes for Head Start and Virginia Preschool Initiative until RPS reported its financial statements and budgets to the Department of Education for funding," according to the suit.

Williams said she adamantly objected, as Head Start standards required the RPS Policy Council to consult and approve all applications for funding and amendments to the budget.

In 2020 after Williams’ repeated opposition to several other directives that allegedly violated laws and regulations, D’SOuza began a targeted effort to remove Williams, the suit says.

D’Souza reprimanded Williams for refusing to complete the necessary steps for instructional supplies for preschool students, and wrote that Williams "engaged in a ‘combative’ dialogue and threatened to flag the purchase in the internal accounting," the suit states.

Williams said she objected to the purchase because the materials would have been purchased with Head Start funds and given to students who did not qualify for Head Start, "a blatant violation" of mandated standards.

After several subsequent, similar incidents, Williams received letter of dismissal in early January 2021.

The school district fired Williams, the suit alleges, at the insistence of D’Souza "in retaliation for her continued, good faith reports that the RPS Early Childhood Education and Head Start Programs were not in compliance with the Head Start Program Performance Standards."

Williams in the lawsuit requests her job back, and double the amount of back pay owed with interest.

She is being represented by Ashley Passero and Barbara Queen, employment attorneys at LawrenceQueen who declined to comment on the case.

From left, Richmond City Council member Katherine Jordan, Richmond City School Board member Mariah White and Richmond Public Schools Chief Operating Officer Dana Fox provide an update on construction plans to rebuild Fox Elementary School on Wednesday.

Members of the media tour Fox Elementary School in Richmond, VA after Richmond Public Schools Chief Operating Officer Dana Fox provided an update on construction plans to rebuild the school on Wednesday, February 22. The building, which dates to 1911, was heavily damaged in a three-alarm fire on the night of Feb. 11, 2022. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH

Richmond Public Schools Chief Operating Officer Dana Fox accompanies members of the media Wednesday on a tour of Fox Elementary School in Richmond after providing an update on construction plans to rebuild the school. The building, which dates to 1911, was heavily damaged in a three-alarm fire on the night of Feb. 11, 2022.

Members of the media tour Fox Elementary School in Richmond after Richmond Public Schools Chief Operating Officer Dana Fox provided an update on construction plans to rebuild the school Wednesday.

(From left) Richmond Public Schools Chief Operating Officer Dana Fox, Richmond City Council member Katherine Jordan, and Richmond City School Board member Mariah White accompany members of the media on a tour of Fox Elementary School in Richmond, VA after Fox provided an update on construction plans to rebuild the school on Wednesday, February 22. The building, which dates to 1911, was heavily damaged in a three-alarm fire on the night of Feb. 11, 2022. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH

Members of the media tour Fox Elementary School in Richmond after Richmond Public Schools Chief Operating Officer Dana Fox provided an update on construction plans to rebuild the school on Wednesday, February 22. The building, which dates to 1911, was heavily damaged in a three-alarm fire on the night of Feb. 11, 2022.

Cones are seen marking holes in the floor above as members of the media tour Fox Elementary School in Richmond, VA after Richmond Public Schools Chief Operating Officer Dana Fox provided an update on construction plans to rebuild the school on Wednesday, February 22. The building, which dates to 1911, was heavily damaged in a three-alarm fire on the night of Feb. 11, 2022. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH

(From left) Richmond Public Schools Chief Operating Officer Dana Fox, Richmond City School Board member Mariah White, and Richmond City Council member Katherine Jordan accompany members of the media on a tour of Fox Elementary School in Richmond, VA after Fox provided an update on construction plans to rebuild the school on Wednesday, February 22. The building, which dates to 1911, was heavily damaged in a three-alarm fire on the night of Feb. 11, 2022. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH

Members of the media tour the basement at Fox Elementary School in Richmond, VA after Richmond Public Schools Chief Operating Officer Dana Fox provided an update on construction plans to rebuild the school on Wednesday, February 22. The building, which dates to 1911, was heavily damaged in a three-alarm fire on the night of Feb. 11, 2022. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH

Roses are seen in the fencing that surrounds Fox Elementary School in Richmond, VA as Richmond Public Schools Chief Operating Officer Dana Fox provides an update on construction plans to rebuild the school on Wednesday, February 22. The building, which dates to 1911, was heavily damaged in a three-alarm fire on the night of Feb. 11, 2022. EVA RUSSO/TIMES-DISPATCH

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Fired RPS employee sues school district, alleges misuse of federal funds