WUSA reports JC Hayward, noon anchor and vice president for media outreach for the Washington, D.C. CBS affiliate, has been suspended after she was named in a lawsuit brought by the Washington, D.C. Attorney General.
The lawsuit also names three former managers of Options Public Charter School for at-risk youth who are accused of funneling nearly $3 Million of the school’s money into their own private companies.
According to The Washington Post, the suit alleges Hayward helped the three since she was the chair of the school’s board of trustees and signed off on many of the contracts.
Documents filed with the court papers show that the signature of Hayward, who allegedly helped incorporate one of the companies, appears to be on some of the expensive contracts.
Hayward told WUSA she did nothing wrong and never received any money in her role as chair for schools’ board. She also told WUSA she resigned from the board last week.
The Washington City Paper said Hayward incorporated a company called Exceptional Education Services at Options Public Charter school (EES) while chair of Options’ board.
At one point in April 2012, according to the attorney general’s complaint, Hayward signed off on a $159,000 loan to EES. Later that year, she allegedly agreed to a $981,250 transportation agreement between the school and EES—a hefty deal for the latter, considering that another company had been paid only $70,000 for a similar contract a year before.
WUSA general manager Mark Burdett said Hayward has been “relieved of her duties at WUSA pending further investigation.”
No criminal charges have been filed yet.
Click here to view the Washington City Paper article with embedded complaint.