A former D.C. Public Schools lawyer who worked a second job in Maryland during her full-time employment has lost her city government job and will pay a $20,000 fine for violating ethics rules, following a report by The Washington Times.
Lynette Collins taught in-person psychology classes at Montgomery College during daytime hours when she was supposedly working at the school system’s central office in downtown Washington.
It was unclear whether she was showing up for her six-figure DCPS job as senior deputy general counsel for labor and employment, where she acted as a government ethics expert representing the system in workplace disputes.
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The Times first reported on Ms. Collins’ employment in April.
The D.C. Board of Ethics and Government Accountability reported this month that a probe found she misreported her outside income as telework and recorded regular work hours on government time-and-attendance sheets during her teaching hours from 2023 to this year.
The board, an independent agency, has investigated and fined a growing number of city workers for taking unreported second jobs under Mayor Muriel Bowser’s administration.
“Restrictions prohibit employees from engaging in outside employment that conflicts with District government service,” Ashley D. Cooks, director of the Office of Government Ethics, told The Times.
“Ms. Collins has agreed that her conduct violated the ethics rules and agreed to pay the $20,000 fine through the transfer of unused annual leave,” Ms. Cooks added in an email. “She is no longer employed with the District government, and I cannot comment on any other employment.”
The Times has attempted for months to reach Ms. Collins for comment. She must pay the fine by Aug. 7.
Spokespersons for D.C. Public Schools and for the mayor’s office declined to comment.
Government salary figures posted online show that Ms. Collins will earn $197,992 for her city job this year, 189.9% higher than the average DCPS employee and 155.7% higher than the national average for government employees.
The ethics board said her job required her to work from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
An Oct. 1 order imposing the fine found Ms. Collins was simultaneously teaching psychology in person on multiple weekdays at the school’s Takoma Park and Rockville campuses.
Montgomery College spokesman Marcus Rosano said Wednesday that Ms. Collins remained employed as an adjunct faculty member.
“Full-time college employees are required to disclose outside employment,” Mr. Rosano said. “Adjunct faculty and other part-time employees are not required to disclose employment outside of MC.”
According to her public financial disclosures, Ms. Collins never told the city she was commuting to another job in Maryland during office hours. Her most recent disclosure to the ethics board reported she earned $15,001 to $50,000 in 2024 to “teach online classes” at Montgomery College.
The disclosure, filed May 12, said she earned the same amount to “teach online classes” at the University of Maryland Global Campus in 2024.
The filing said Ms. Collins assumed her last position at D.C. Public Schools in March 2020 and started teaching online courses at Montgomery College and the University of Maryland Global Campus in November 2020.
She earned $29,616 from Montgomery College in 2024 and $30,725 last year.
Montgomery College students have rated Ms. Collins a 2.7 out of 5 on RateMyProfessors.com. Some of their reviews describe her as a disorganized lecturer who graded students harshly and often stepped out to take phone calls.
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