Superintendent's School Property Wasn't Stolen On Trip, Report Says

HARFORD COUNTY, MD — Property reported stolen by Harford County Public Schools Superintendent Sean Bulson while he was in New Orleans was not taken then, according to a new report by Maryland's inspector general released Monday.

No "fraud, waste or abuse" concerns have been uncovered by the Maryland Office of the Inspector General for Education in the case of the school electronics and cell phones reported missing from the Bulson's hotel room during a 2024 education conference.

Instead, investigators said it appeared Bulson had forgotten he put the devices in his hotel safe.

Bulson made a 911 call on April 6, 2024, to New Orleans Police to report school equipment missing from his room. A report signed by Maryland Inspector General Richard P. Henry said the voice heard and recorded by the New Orleans Police in the 911 call was that of Bulson.

The 911 call's transcript has been posted by the law firm Turnbull Brockmeyer Law Group on Facebook.

Bulson was placed on leave effective Jan. 7, hours after Harford County Executive Bob Cassilly called for the superintendent's resignation after learning about the 2024 incident.

Late that same day, former Harford County Education Board President Aaron Poynton released a statement confirming that an internal review showed no student data was comprised after electronic devices were reported stolen by Bulson.

Poynton resigned the day after Bulson was placed on leave, saying he was leaving because of the demands of a new job.

Related:

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According to Turnbull Brockmeyer Law Group, the items reported stolen included phones, an iPad, a laptop, an Apple Watch and technology that "appears consistent with employer-issued devices. Technology that, if issued by Harford County Public Schools, would have carried secured and confidential information."

However, the Office of the Inspector General for Education, which was contacted by Poynton to investigate the reputed theft, said in its report that electronic devices belonging to the school district that were in Bulson's possession at the New Orleans conference actually were in the room safe. The devices were returned to Bulson's home address after the trip by the hotel.

"OIGE is aware of the totality of the events that occurred on April 5, 2024. However, those events fall outside the Inspector General’s statutory authority and do not constitute fraud, waste or abuse. OIGE views the events of April 5, 2024, as a personal matter involving an individual reporting a crime. The conclusion of this matter is reserved for Dr. Bulson to share with the citizens of Harford County," the report said.

In an interview with OIGE, Bulson said he thought the items had been stolen and after searching his room for them, he went to the deputy superintendent's room to use his school-issued phone to call his wife and then the New Orleans Police Department to report the items stolen. He then contacted the school district's information technology director to disable access to the school laptop and phone. After he gave an 11 a.m. scheduled presentation, Bulson then told Poynton about the missing items.

Bulson told the OIGE that on April 8, 2024, when returning home from the conference, he received a call on his personal phone from a Marriott security officer who said they had recovered the missing devices from the room's safe. He paid for their return via FedEx with his own money and they were delivered to his home.

In his interview with the inspector general's office, Poynton said Bulson told him he believed he had been "rolled" in the night and that the aforementioned items might have been stolen from his hotel room. Poynton said he didn't pursue the matter further after learning that the school devices had been found in the room safe and returned to Bulson.

The inspector's report also said the IT director for Harford County Public Schools said he was notified of the missing school property on April 6 by a phone call from Bulson.

Marriott corporate security confirmed to the inspector general that an entry was made in their lost and found log for items recovered from Bulson’s hotel room safe. These items included the reportedly lost items and a laptop computer with a property identification sticker affixed, indicating it was the property of Harford County Public Schools.