Columbus – A Cincinnati charter school miscalculated the pay of a former employee, causing him to receive $3,885 he did not earn, state auditors found.

An audit released today reports that King Academy paid $21,885 to former Administrative Aide Dexter Thomas instead of the approved amount of $18,000 from Feb. 15 through July 28, 2017. 

“Payroll errors are almost always a sign of weak internal controls,” Auditor Dave Yost said. “King Academy needs a thorough review process to guarantee the accuracy of dollar amounts on all employee paychecks.”

Thomas held the position at the school from January 2017 through the end of the school year. There was no evidence that the academy’s board of directors approved the additional pay.

Auditors issued a $3,885 finding for recovery against Dexter for the overpayments. Former Treasurer Michael Ashmore and his bonding company are jointly liable for the amount because he authorized the payments to Thomas. 

A full copy of this report is available online.

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The Auditor of State’s office, one of five independently elected statewide offices in Ohio, is responsible for auditing more than 5,900 state and local government agencies.  Under the direction of Auditor Dave Yost, the office also provides financial services to local governments, investigates and prevents fraud in public agencies and promotes transparency in government.

Contact:
Dominic Binkley
Public Information Officer
614-644-1111