Former Pittsburgh Public Schools principal faces $750 fine for state ethics violations

A former Pittsburgh Public Schools principal is facing a $750 fine from the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission for failing to complete statements of financial interests between 2016 and 2018.

Deonne M. Arrington has until Oct. 17 to pay the civil penalty, the commission said when it released its findings Friday.

Arrington was a principal at Pittsburgh Lincoln K-5 school, but hasn’t been employed with the district for at least two years, district spokeswoman Ebony Pugh said.

Arrington couldn’t be reached for comment.

She filed a deficient statement of financial interest in 2016 and failed to file similar statements in 2017 and 2018, according to the commission.

In March 2020, the commission first notified Arrington about the violations, but she didn’t reply to that notice and also didn’t respond to one sent in June 2020.

She’s facing the maximum fine of $250 per violation for a total of $750 that’s due Oct. 17, the commission said.

Arrington’s ethics violations are similar to those levied against former Pittsburgh Superintendent Anthony Hamlet, who resigned effective Oct. 1 after the commission said the superintendent violated state ethics laws in his travel expense reports, accepted cash for speeches and failed to make required financial disclosures between 2016 and 2018.

The ethics commission ordered Hamlet to pay $5,000 — $3,250 to the district for use in the Pittsburgh Promise program and $1,750 to the ethics commission — and to forfeit 14 days of vacation time.

The school board accepted Hamlet’s resignation last week. The board has said it will name an interim superintendent when it meets Sept. 29. A national search for a new superintendent will begin in December, following the November election for open school board seats.