An investigation by the Maryland Office of the Inspector General for Education found that no Harford Schools property was stolen from Superintendent Sean Bulson in New Orleans in 2024, despite a 911 call Bulson made reporting a theft from his hotel room.

The state report, released Monday, said the Harford County Public Schools-issued laptop and phone that Bulson reported stolen on April 6, 2024, were returned to him days later after hotel staff recovered the items from his room.

A recording of Bulson’s 911 call to New Orleans Police was posted on social media last week which resulted in numerous state and county leaders calling for Bulson to resign.

Bulson was placed on paid administrative leave by the Board of Education Wednesday evening following an hours-long special, closed board session.

In the call, a man who identified himself as Sean Bulson reported a theft of about $8,000 from his hotel room by an unknown woman after he fell asleep. Bulson was attending a professional education conference in New Orleans on the same day as the 911 call.

After Bulson was placed on leave, former Board of Education President Aaron Poynton told The Baltimore Sun that the district does not believe any of the items were stolen during the trip and said the Harford school district has been in possession of the laptop and cellphone Bulson reported as stolen since the New Orleans trip.

Poynton resigned Thursday morning. Prior to his resignation, Poynton engaged the State Inspector General to investigate the matter.

“The day following the alleged incident, Bulson informed me that he believed his equipment had been stolen during a robbery,” Poynton said. “The next time I spoke to Dr. Bulson approximately two days later, he stated that the items had not been stolen but were instead misplaced in his hotel safe and recovered; After the police audio call surfaced, I directed an investigation by the inspector general to independently corroborate these facts.”

This story will be updated.  

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