Student Fund Paid for Adults' Meals, Drinks -- and Strip Club Visits

The two men submitted receipts indicating that during school hours they visited the Camelot, a club featuring nude dancers. The receipts were labeled "RAH of Washington D.C, Inc. -- 1823 M Street, NW," according to audit records. Rah is the licensing name for the Camelot, and that address is the club's longtime location. Jones was reimbursed $147 from the student fund for his trip to the club on July 20, 2004, and Crawley was reimbursed $225 for a visit on May 21.

Auditors concluded that the pair had been reimbursed for more than $13,000 for improper expenses over 24 months. These expenses included "elaborate lunches and dinners, happy hour cocktails and nightcaps," the audit stated.

As a result of the audit, the after-school program stopped depositing federal money into student activity accounts.

The auditor recommended that Crawley and Jones be forced to repay all the money they misspent. But their new supervisor, Esther Monclova-Johnson, instead put Jones and Crawley on 90-day probation and initially required that they repay just the $518 spent on alcohol, records indicate. She devised a plan for them to work overtime to repay the money that was spent on food and entertainment.

Auditors later questioned whether the pair actually worked any extra hours. They had submitted time sheets for holidays when the schools were closed and when their after-school program was not operating, records indicate.

The case was forwarded to the D.C. inspector general's office, which investigated, referred the matter to the U.S. attorney's office for possible criminal charges and arranged for the men to repay the misspent money. Prosecutors declined to pursue the case.

According to Monclova-Johnson, Jones has fully repaid his share, and Crawley is still making payments.

Crawley and Jones did not respond to e-mails seeking comment. Monclova-Johnson said the two declined to be interviewed. She said that they still work at the after-school program as technology managers, and that they have been given additional responsibilities during her tenure.

"These guys are extremely talented, and the work that they give to the program is not worth them being dismissed over a practice that may have been approved . . . by past directors," Monclova-Johnson said. "They weren't doing anything that they felt was wrong at the time, but maybe it was."