Stephanie Mullaley, who taught in the Clinton Community School District in the US state of Iowa, told students that she was raising money for what she described as “personal education goals”.

Some students donated after being told they could receive extra credit, leaving them feeling pressured to contribute, administrative law Judge Duane Golden said.

Mullaley allegedly said donations would fund “transportation, including flights, buses, and boats, food and hotel accommodations [sic]”.

She was dismissed on May 29 for violating the district’s ethics policy. Golden denied her unemployment claim, finding she had shown a “willful or wanton disregard” of her employer’s interests.

The GoFundMe had a $1,800 target but raised only $140 from six donations.