The Pennsylvania Ethics Commission cited Pittsburgh Public Schools superintendent Dr. Anthony Hamlet for numerous violations of the Public Official and Employee Ethics Act in a report released Thursday.
According to the commission, Hamlet negligently accepted and kept travel reimbursements for trips already paid for by the district.
The report adds Hamlet negligently marked vacation days as work days. Additionally, he carried unused vacation and personal days over to the following year for himself and other employees against his contract.
The report also cites Hamlet for accepting payments for appearances related to his position.
Hamlet denied committing any violations regarding a trip to Cuba in 2019 with The Flying Classroom, but according to the consent agreement, agreed "if this matter went to hearing, the Investigative Division could, by circumstantial evidence, meet the requisite evidentiary standard and convince a fact finder that he violated" the Ethics Act.
Hamlet agreed to pay $7,908 in reimbursements and forfeit 14 days of vacation time.
During a briefing Thursday with Hamlet and his attorney David Berardinelli, both maintained Hamlet did not intentionally violate the Ethics Act, saying the consent agreement cites negligence and not malicious intent.
"This is a great day for me personally, as this two-year inquiry has been a cloud over my head, a heavy burden on my shoulders, even though I know I have done nothing wrong," Hamlet said during a brief statement. "This actually vindicates that."
Berardinelli attributed the violations to record-keeping errors, lack of training and language in Hamlet's contract contradictory to the commission's policy.
"If we could all go back and do this all over again I think a lot of people would do a lot of things differently," Berardinelli said. "What is sort of a silver lining when there is an inquiry like this is that it lets you see if there are gaps in your processes and procedures."
Hamlet said the district will implement ethics training for employees.
Pittsburgh City Controller Michael Lamb, who initiated the investigation, feels differently about the commission's report. He called for leadership changes within the district Thursday.
“We are thankful for the work of the State Ethics Commission," Lamb said in a statement. "This report confirms much of what we suspected. The Pittsburgh Board of Public Education must now make appropriate changes to leadership to allow the district to get back to the important business of focusing on student achievement. City families and children deserve nothing less.”
Lamb told Lynne Hayes-Freeland on News Radio KDKA, he believes the report reflects negatively on the superintendent.
"To suggest that today is some kind of vindication, it shows you someone who is completely unware," Lamb said. "For him to come out now and say 'they cleared me, I didn't act intentionally,' that's not true. That's not true at all."
The commission says if Hamlet does not comply with the consent agreement, it will take further enforcement action.