Even though he left to be a president of a college in Brooklyn, NY, Rudy Crew is being pulled back into the limelight in Oregon for having allegedly violated the state’s travel rules and for allegedly manipulating his time sheets.
According to documents obtained by Portland’s Willamette Week, the state’s former chief education officer traveled for at least 63 days for 17 out-of-state trips during his one year in Oregon. On top of that, he also took 32 vacations days and 17 personal days.
“He missed at least 50 percent of our scheduled meetings,” Rep. Betty Komp (D-Woodburn) told Willamette Week. Komp was one of the co-chairs for the Oregon Education Investment Board. “The governor’s staff was doing its best to keep the OEIB’s goals moving forward, but their leader (Crew) was missing.”
According to his calendar, Crew tried to charge the state with a $336 for a town car to shuttle him from the Portland International Airport to his home in Salem. During that same trip, he also charged the state $350 for an upgrade to first class, which according to the state ethics law, traveling first class is prohibited on business trips.
His town car was also flagged as an improper expense by state accountants.
In regard to his time sheets, Crew reported to work on Thursday, May 9 when he flew first class to San Francisco to give a speech to the Partners in School Innovation. The next day, he flew to the Bahamas and spent that evening at a kickoff for the Parent Academy at Lyford Clay International School. He claimed those two trips as work days, but the state disagrees.
“I am unable to confirm the accuracy of Rudy’s time and do not feel like I am able to sign authorizing these hours,” Lisa Van Laanen said. Laanen was sent into Crew’s office by Kitzhaber to help implement discipline in the office.
Crew left Oregon having served just one of the three years indicated in his contract for a gig as the president of Medgar Evans College. On June 28, Springfield’s School District Superintendent Nancy Golden was appointed to replace crew with a strong recommendation from Kitzhaber.