OAK PARK, Mich. – The superintendent of Oak Park Schools has quietly retired after months on paid leave, even as a whistleblower lawsuit accusing him and the district of serious financial misconduct continues in Oakland County Circuit Court.
This week, the Oak Park Board of Education voted to accept Superintendent Angel Abdulahad’s retirement, who had been on paid administrative leave and under investigation for about three months.
At the same time, a lawsuit filed by the district’s former Executive Director of Business and Finance, Sharrece Farris-Foster, reveals detailed allegations that public funds and a district-issued credit card were misused under Abdulahad’s leadership.
According to the complaint, Farris-Foster says the problems began around May of last year as she was preparing to present budget projections to the Oak Park Board of Education.
She alleges that at Abdulahad’s direction, she “was instructed to provide an inaccurate budget projection by overstating available funds by more than one million dollars.”
Farris-Foster says she pushed back, voiced her concerns, and spoke with a couple of school board trustees.
After that, she claims she was subjected to harassment by the superintendent for refusing to go along with the alleged scheme.
The lawsuit contends that Farris-Foster was ultimately fired in November 2025 in retaliation for raising red flags — a termination she argues was unlawful.
The complaint also focuses heavily on Abdulahad’s use of a district-issued credit card and attempts to increase his spending power.
In July, Farris-Foster says Abdulahad directed her to “increase his District-issued credit card limit by twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000).” She told the court she objected, calling the request unethical and a violation of board policy.
Court documents say she raised concerns about several of the superintendent’s credit card purchases, including electronics, supplies, and television mounts.
The lawsuit alleges she later learned Abdulahad did not want approximately $10,000 worth of electronic equipment — including MacBooks, AirPods, Apple iPhones, and wireless keyboards — purchased at Best Buy with district funds to be tagged as district property.
The complaint notes that Oak Park Schools typically does not use Best Buy as a vendor, relying instead on approved suppliers.
Farris-Foster says she reported the potential misconduct.
Around the same time, according to the filing, Abdulahad allegedly directed her to authorize a payout of approximately $40,000 for his accrued leave days without the Board of Education’s approval.
She again objected, calling it an improper use of public money.
By September 2025, the lawsuit claims, additional concerns surfaced from within the finance department.
Staff reported issues with Abdulahad’s use of the district credit card, including reimbursement requests for charges that were not allowed under district policy.
The complaint also points to a reimbursement request tied to a work-related conference in California, where the superintendent was allegedly “seeking payment for both his and his son’s expenses.”
Farris-Foster’s employment was terminated in November 2025.
Her lawsuit argues that her dismissal was unlawful retaliation for whistleblowing on alleged financial misconduct and other policy violations.
In their formal response to the complaint, Oak Park Schools, the Board of Education, and Abdulahad deny most of the allegations.
Despite accepting Abdulahad’s retirement, the district has not publicly detailed the findings of any internal investigation or explained the conditions surrounding his departure.
Sources tell Local 4 there is more to the allegations against the former superintendent — and to the circumstances surrounding the board’s acceptance of his retirement.
We are continuing to investigate and plan to dig deeper into those claims and the district’s handling of them.
Local 4 has reached out to the district’s spokesperson and its attorney for comment on the whistleblower lawsuit and the superintendent’s retirement.
As of now, calls and emails have not been returned.