Atlanta Public School Board Member Under Fire For Ethics Violation

By Rose Scott

Atlanta, GA –
Officials with the Fulton County Taxpayer's Foundation say Atlanta School Board member Courtney English should resign in response to an ethics complaint filed against him.
English was cited for misusing an APS issued credit card for personal use.
An attorney for English says it was a simple misunderstanding of APS policy.
WABE's Rose Scott reports:

The ethics complaint obtained by an open records request details purchases made between May 29th and July 1st.
They include an airline ticket, charges for food in Boston and Cambridge, Mass.
There's also a charge for an Atlanta salon and spa.
English's attorney Douglas Rosenbloom admits his client didn't fully read the terms regarding the credit card:

ROSENBLOOM:
"he also signed a one page document which stated that he would reimburse the school district for any personal charges he made he misinterpreted that instruction on that one page form as meaning he was permitted to make those charges so long as he immediately reimbursed the school district"

But that explanation is not good enough says Barbara Payne with the Fulton County Taxpayer's Foundation:

PAYNE:
"when you're given a credit at a job you don't use it for anything without getting permission first"

According to Rosenbloom, English was never warned about misusing the card.
The complaint does indicate at one time English was going to dispute the charges but never followed through.