The Baltimore City Public School System announced Wednesday afternoon that Eric Letsinger was vacating his position as chief operating officer effective immediately and will no longer be employed with the BCPSS.
The school system said in a press release that Letsinger?s departure is the result of an investigation begun last week into allegations of misconduct committed by members of the BCPSS executive staff.
The announcement comes after Letsinger was placed on administrative leave pending the results of an internal investigation into a chartered fishing trip. Officials were looking into whether Letsinger acted appropriately when he took 10 school system and city officials fishing on the Chesapeake Bay two weeks ago and allegedly tried to pay for the trip using school system funds.
School system spokeswoman Vanessa Pyatt declined to release details of the investigation, saying it was a personnel matter.
The review of Letsinger and the charter boat trip is part of a broader investigation of top school system officials announced during a recent School Board meeting. Board members and Mayor Martin O?Malley received an anonymous letter last week detailing nine allegations of misconduct among senior staff, including “willful and abusive spending” and drinking alcohol at the school system headquarters.
Letsinger?s appointment was announced by the school system a little more than a year ago, on May 10, 2005. He oversaw the financial and business operations of facilities maintenance, facilities design and construction, school and facilities planning, transportation, food services, school security and health and safety. He managed more than 1,000 school system employees.
“We are pleased to have Eric join the school system,” CEO Bonnie Copeland said at the time. “He brings a wealth of knowledge, skills and talent in public and private-sector management. I know that with his leadership, we will be able to move our business practices to a new level.”
Letsinger holds a bachelor of arts degree from Northwestern University, where he majored in political science and urban studies. He received his master of business administration degree from the Yale School of Management in 1996.
Letsinger came to the school system from the Baltimore City Department of Housing and Community Development, where he served as deputy housing commissioner. Previously, he was a principal consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
