Photo courtesy of Jim Mone/AP
A Minnesota woman has agreed to repay the $120,000 she raised in an online fundraiser to honor Philandro Castile, a Black motorist killed in 2016 by a police officer during a traffic stop. However, she is accused of taking the money instead of using the funds for its intended purpose.
On Monday, the office of Minnesota attorney general Keith Ellison announced that it had reached a settlement with Pamela Fergus, who organized the online fundraiser entitled “Philando Feeds the Children.” The New York Times reported that the fundraiser money was initially used to pay off school lunch debts.
In June, the state’s attorney general’s office filed a lawsuit against Fergus after failing to account for the $120,000 of the $200,000 she had raised. While $80,000 was donated to the Saint Paul Public Schools, Fergus is ordered to repay the money within two years as part of the settlement filed in Ramsey County District court.
According to the settlement, Fergus was a psychology professor at Metropolitan State University in St. Paul, Minn., when she created the online fundraiser. As a result, she will no longer be allowed to hold fundraisers or reaccess charitable money. The settlement did not require any admission of guilt from the former educator.
The state conducted an investigation after Castille’s mother, Valerie Castile, told the attorney general’s office in January 2020 that she was concerned about how the donation money was being used.
“You should put that money where it’s supposed to go,” Valerie said in a statement provided by the attorney general’s office. “These things are not for your personal gain. It’s not right,” she said.
The fundraiser was founded in August 2017 to raise $5,000 and pay off school debts for those who attended J.J. Hill Montessori, the elementary school where Philandro worked as a cafeteria supervisor and was known as Mr. Phil to the students. “Please help Philando continue to feed his kids,” Fergus outlined on the donation website, which hosted the now-inoperative online-crowdfunding platform YouCaring.
The crowdfunding campaign raised more than $200,000, prompting national coverage for others to donate to the cause. All of the funds were deposited into Fergus’ bank account, as she assured the public that she would use the funds to help pay off the school lunch debts. In addition, she changed the targeted goal to nearly one million dollars.
Under the settlement, Fergus is expected to pay the state $400 from June to February 2024. Once she gains access to her retirement funds, the former professor will have to pay an additional $111,000 on or before March 3, 2024. If Fergus does not adhere to the agreement, she will be liable for the total amount still owed.
The attorney general’s office said the repayment would be used to pay off students’ lunch debts at Saint Paul Public Schools. Castile was known for his charitable efforts by paying off lunch debts for students who could not afford them.
“Philando Castile cared deeply about the children he served, and the children loved him back,” Ellison said in a statement. “Failing to use every dollar raised to help those children was an insult to Philando’s legacy and all who loved him.”