The attorney for former South Bend Community Schools Chief Financial Officer Kareemah Fowler says she deserves a public apology and a statement clearing her name after months of scrutiny tied to the district’s ongoing internal investigation.
Attorney Dick Nussbaum said Fowler felt targeted from the moment the school board launched the investigation earlier this year, citing “illegal and unethical” activity over the past five years.
“So it was clear to her, and I agree with her, that she had a target on her back,” Nussbaum said. “They didn’t mention her name, but, you know, you mentioned five years, you mentioned forensic accounting. She worked there for five years.”
The controversy centers in part on the district’s relocation of its administrative offices to Brown School. Some officials have raised concerns about the project's cost and whether the spending followed proper procedures.
But Nussbaum said the figures cited in a recent newspaper article misrepresent the facts. He said the $2.8 million figure was never the actual budget.
“So the $2.8 million number is not right. It was a not-to-exceed $5 million,” he said. “Numbers that they listed in the newspaper article last Sunday… apples and oranges.”
Nussbaum also defended Fowler’s performance as CFO, saying she helped the district navigate a series of major financial challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic and a voter-approved referendum.
“She did a remarkable job,” Nussbaum said. “There were a lot of huge issues that she needed to tackle. When she left, the finances were not in bad shape.”
Nussbaum said Fowler wants the school board to take three specific steps: issue a public statement confirming nothing illegal occurred, acknowledge the error in suggesting wrongdoing, and apologize to Fowler and others involved in the Brown relocation.
“Number one, an affirmative statement that nothing illegal was done. Secondly, that they admit they were wrong in saying it was illegal. Third, that they apologize to Karima Fowler, the architect, the general contractor and the subcontractor,” he said.
Board attorney Pete Agostino told WVPE that the investigation covers more than just the Brown School project and did not name any individuals in its initial scope. He also said some people spoke out prematurely, but acknowledged that Fowler’s complaints helped inform the investigation.
