On Your Side
Only on Idaho On Your Side: Nampa's Whistleblower Speaks Out
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Tina Jensen reports. Video by IdahoOnYourSide.com
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The Nampa School District is swimming in red ink, and now yet another District leader has resigned.
It’s no surprise to Danielle Sisayaket.
Sisayaket outlined her concerns about possible fraud to human resources officer Steve Kipp at the Nampa School District in August 2011. A week later, she was fired. The District said they fired her due to budget cuts.
"I mean, her job was to look for fraud. She said “Hey, I have some things that looked at least inappropriate, I'm suspicious,’" said her attorney, Breck Seiniger. "And she gets canned...It shows how they handle things that show suspicions of mismanagement."
The District announced a $4.3 million dollar shortfall at the beginning of the school year. The District maintains the allegations and concerns outlined in the lawsuit have nothing to do with how it got in it’s current fiscal crisis.
After the lawsuit was filed, attorneys for the school district said Sisayaket knowingly and maliciously made up lies about suspicious accounting practices.
"There's no way I'd do a lawsuit like this unless it's legitimate,” Sisayaket said. “It's very frustrating they'd act this way."
Her attorney says in light of the fiscal crisis, the District owes her a public apology.
"She has a reputation, she has children - they depend on her. These people that are saying she did this maliciously - that's wrong,” Seiniger says. "And now they're saying essentially to the public, 'Forgive us, we didn't know about this [fiscal situation].' Well, you had people shouting fire and you wouldn't look. That's Danielle's position and I think she's right."
Ultimatley, Sisayket hopes the District will turn around – and that those responsible for the financial mess will be held accountable.
"I hope for a resolution but also that they will fix the things that are going on, with the new staff that's there, with the new superintendent. I really hope they turn around for the kids for the taxpayers, for everyone. At some point, it has to be resolved. This cannot continue."
Her lawsuit is scheduled to go to trial in April, but Seiniger says the District is refusing to hand over important financial documents in discovery.
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