By Lauren Miceli
FGCU’s director of outreach programs was fired after he used the school’s credit card for personal use.
On July 12, Dr. Winston Bishop received a notice that his employment at FGCU would be terminated. After conducting an audit of Bishop’s university purchase card, FGCU administration discovered he spent $6,717 on rental cars. 
Bishop appealed his termination on July 17, and that appeal was denied on July 25.
According to Susan Evans, the school’s vice president and chief of staff, the university is seeking full restitution of the funds. Bishop already paid some of the balance, and Evans said the remaining $1,822 will be taken from his final paycheck.
“This behavior is inconsistent with our high standards of honesty and integrity for FGCU employees,” Evans said in an email. “In addition to terminating [Bishop], we are reviewing our processes to ensure it does not happen again.”
According to the Fort Myers News-Press, Bishop claimed he could not use his car for a period of time, which was why he needed rental cars to do his job.
This was not the first time Bishop was reprimanded for using a school credit card for his own benefit. A Florida Department of Education discipline case from 2013 stated that Bishop charged $4,214 on a card issued to him by the Lee County School District.
After paying the balance, he resigned from his position as an elementary school principal. In 2015, his educator’s certificate was revoked for 10 years.
Bishop started working at FGCU in January 2018. Evans confirmed his position will be filled, but she did not say when the hiring process would begin.