A chaos-filled Friday at the retired teachers’ pension board has left two people without jobs and plenty more concerns about violation of ethics laws.
It was the expected final day for the State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) board member Wade Steen, but the unexpected dismissal of Executive Director Bill Neville. The day also included an attempt to silence and condemn STRS staff, which failed. As if that wasn’t enough — a document I obtained has led to renewed calls for a state investigation into possible ethical violations.
A (somewhat long) recap
The State Teachers Retirement System (STRS) is in chaos. In summary, there has been constant fighting , two board resignations and allegations of both a public corruption scheme and mishandling of funds .
In May, Yost filed a lawsuit to remove two members of STRS, stating they are participating in a contract steering “scheme” that could directly benefit them. Yost started the investigation after documents prepared by STRS employees alleged that Wade Steen and Chair Rudy Fichtenbaum have been doing the bidding of investment firm QED.