ABSTRACT
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| Smitherman's school photo beside her 2019 mugshot |
ETHICS CASE CONTROVERSY
School
faculty members are carefully selected and have to undergo background checks to
be sure they are stable, rational, and will present themselves as good role
models for impressionable young minds. Casey Smitherman, of Indiana, was one of
these trusted adults employed by the Elwood school district as the
Superintendent. However, that title was soiled when she was arrested in January
2019 for attempting to obtain medical care for a sick student using her own
insurance. Smitherman knew some of her students come from low income families
that could not afford health insurance policies and regular doctor’s visits.
So, when she noticed one of these students missed school for a few consecutive
days, she went to his house, found out he was suffering from a severe sore throat,
and attempted to get him help at an urgent care center. Casey told the fifteen-year-old
to use her son’s name so his visit would be covered under her insurance policy.
This worked and she was able to pick up a prescription for Amoxicillin to treat
the student’s condition.
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| She brought the fifteen year old to an urgent care center in Indiana |
After
returning to school, the fifteen-year-old boy confided in another teacher about
the incident, and word began to spread about the superintendent’s questionable judgment
in the situation. Smitherman knew her actions were fraudulent and illegal, and
that she would face punishments at work due to her significant role as
superintendent. Despite this, she
voluntarily turned herself in to the Elwood Police Department on January 17 and
resigned from her position with the district. After the story broke, she
indicated that this was not the first instance of her helping this particular
student. She had purchased clothes, food, and even cleaned his house before
because she knew his home life was not stable and wanted to ensure the boy was
living in safe conditions. Court records point out that Smitherman did not
report the conditions of the child’s home life to the Department of Child and Family
Services because she was afraid the student would get placed in foster care.
She was apologetic and indicated that she
thought she was doing the right thing because she did not think the student had
any other options. It was reported that the family of the fifteen-year-old boy
was not happy that the woman assisted him without consulting his parents, and
they were prepared to take legal action against her. During the trial, other
options Smitherman neglected to explore were brought up. Community members and
relatives of the boy indicated that the Elwood District has access to health
clinics and doctors through the schools. The consensus of the trial was to place
the ex-superintendent into a diversion program, meaning charges will be dropped
if she avoids arrest for an entire year. The school board appreciated her taking
initiative to help the student and her kindness did not go unnoticed, but, as
the following ethical theories will demonstrate, this type of fraud could not
go unpunished. Although it was made with good intentions, her decision turned
out to have many negative consequences, something Smitherman did not consider
when she made the impulsive choice.
The stakeholders directly affected by this case are the fifteen-year-old boy (name undisclosed), his parents who were unaware of or indifferent to his condition, and Casey Smitherman, the respected superintendent whose mistake ended her career. The current faculty and staff of Elwood schools were affected because they lost the leader of the school system and were faced with a close-to-home ethical dilemma. Finally, the public who would consider attending or sending their children to Elwood schools are stakeholders. This type of controversy ended up in news stories and articles across the country, tarnishing Elwood’s reputation. Many parents may think twice now before trusting the district with their child’s safety in the future.
STAKEHOLDERS
The stakeholders directly affected by this case are the fifteen-year-old boy (name undisclosed), his parents who were unaware of or indifferent to his condition, and Casey Smitherman, the respected superintendent whose mistake ended her career. The current faculty and staff of Elwood schools were affected because they lost the leader of the school system and were faced with a close-to-home ethical dilemma. Finally, the public who would consider attending or sending their children to Elwood schools are stakeholders. This type of controversy ended up in news stories and articles across the country, tarnishing Elwood’s reputation. Many parents may think twice now before trusting the district with their child’s safety in the future.
INDIVIDUALISM
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| This tweet was published on January 23, the day Smitherman turned herself in |
Individualism is an ethical theory
coined by Milton Friedman, and its highest values lie the acknowledgment of every
individual’s right to make his own decisions. It asserts that no person has the
right to make other’s choices, and we should all respect this innate right so
each person can live his life the way he wants to. Individualists believe that laws
are created and agreed upon by the entire society, therefore following them
prevents members of society from making decisions that could harm the greater
good. An Individualist would consider Casey Smitherman’s choice wrong because
she lied and made the teenage boy lie as well. She did not allow him his
inherent right to choose what would be best for him. Additionally, she knowingly
took advantage of her insurance company. According to the National Health Care
Anti-Fraud Association, “Health care fraud inevitably translates into higher
premiums and out-of-pocket expenses for consumers, as well as reduced benefits
or coverage… health care fraud increases the cost of providing insurance
benefits to employees and, in turn, increases the overall cost of doing
business” (nhcaa.org, 2019). This statement reflects the magnitude of
consequences all people will be faced with if insurance fraud becomes
widespread. If many people commit this type of offense, (which does happen
because it is easy to do and not all people have a solid code of ethics) it
could harm health care availability for all. Her decision had good intentions,
but any Individualist would disagree with her choice to violate the law and take
away the teenager’s freedom of choice.
UTILITARIANISM
Utilitarianism,
started by Jeremy Bentham and popularized by John Stewart Mill, attempts to
maximize happiness for oneself and others. This theory emphasizes making
decisions that will benefit all stakeholders in the short and long term.
Typically, a Utilitarian will weigh the costs and benefits of various actions
and principles for all beings who will be affected by the actions, rather than
just for his impact on one individual or company (Salazar, 19). In this case of
health insurance fraud, the victim’s happiness was granted at first, but he
clearly faced internal dissonance, resulting in his disclosure of the incident
to another staff member. Smitherman’s happiness was also justified initially. She
acted as a hero. She helped a student when nobody else noticed or cared to.
However, the long-term effects of her seemingly good decision reveal that she
could not sustain long term happiness for all stakeholders. Although the boy
recovered from his physical illness, he found himself involved in a lawsuit,
his parents were outraged by the deceitful acts, and, although it was not his
fault, his superintendent who had helped him on multiple occasions had been
fired. Smitherman’s actions in no way maximized her long-term happiness. She found
herself without a job, on probation, and scorned by a large part of her
community. A Utilitarian would note that Smitherman did not weigh the costs and
benefits of the situation; or, if she did, she ignored the costs because she
was aware of the dishonesty of her actions at the time.
KANTIANISM
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| Portrait of Immanuel Kant |
Kantianism
values rational decision making, individual’s right to autonomy, and honesty
and freedom for all (Salazar, 20). This theory emphasizes that it is wrong to
use other people to one’s own advantage, and all actions should follow the
formula of humanity. The formula of humanity states that no person should use
another as a means to an end. Simply put, one should not manipulate others for
his own wants. Although she directed her altruistic intentions toward another
person, she used herself and her insurance company as a means to an end.
“Treating someone as a mere means uses them or exploits them. It disregards
their rationality and freedom and usually, it involves an attempt to manipulate
them” (Salazar, 22). Kantianism argues that people should make choices based on
goodwill and actions should have good intentions behind them. In this sense, “good”
means the action does not exploit any other person or group. Kantians believe
that if all components of an action would be permissible by all stakeholders
that action effects, then it is a “good” choice. Smitherman did not provide the
student with a fair chance to make his own decision. She acted irrationally
because she did not consider other options like contacting the school medical
professionals or the student’s parents. As previously stated, insurance fraud
cases make it difficult for people to acquire healthcare and causes increased premiums,
and Smitherman’s choice contributed to this. She used herself because she knew
she could do something to help, and it gave her a sense of relief because she
was able to alleviate another person’s illness. However, regardless of the
origin of her intentions, a Kantian would disprove of her actions because she
took the boy’s decision away, and if every stakeholder knew what was happening
at the time, they would not have approved of it.
VIRTUE THEORY
Virtue
theory focuses on a person’s overall character. It values character traits that
contribute positively to society and states that all decisions should be made
with virtues in mind. The goal behind virtue theory is for the person to
fulfill their purpose and maintain a positive overall character. An individual
is considered virtuous if his actions are courageous, just, temperate, compassionate
and honest. Conversely, the opposites of these traits are considered vices,
such as selfishness, narcissism, greed, and dishonesty. Vices prevent people
from fulfilling their purpose. Virtue theorists believe if people succumb to vice,
they will be unable to maintain balance in their lives. Virtue theory focuses
solely on the individual’s personality and capacity to do things with good
reason, and Casey Smitherman’s decision to help a sick student was absolutely a
virtuous one. This woman was courageous in the face of a difficult decision. She
knew she was acting outside the boundaries of her position, helping this
student at home, driving him around and suggesting he lie to medical
professionals. Smitherman acted out of an abundance of compassion, helping the boy
privately to avoid involving his family in a Department of Child and Family
Services investigation. Finally, although she made a dishonest choice, she was
historically an honorable member of the community. Admitting her mistake and
accepting her punishment is evidence of her virtuous nature.
JUSTIFIED ETHICS EVALUATION
As
a current business ethics student, I have been exposed to several controversial
ethical dilemmas, but this one stood out to me the most. Casey Smitherman
neglected to seek alternatives that would perhaps have been more ethical,
however, her decision and actions were motivated with pure intentions and by
goodwill. As the superintendent of the school district, Smitherman was a well
venerated member of the community. She started as an English teacher and this
allowed her to share her light with many students throughout her career. As the
virtue theory analysis stated, Casey acted courageously and honestly in the
end, which reflects who she is as a person regardless of the incident. Her need to take action led her to make a
decision that she knew was wrong, but she believed the student’s well-being was
more important than the potential consequences she would face. There are not
many teachers, much less superintendents, who would go as far as purchasing
clothes, food, and cleaning one of their student’s houses. I tend to lean more
towards the virtue theory when analyzing how I feel about other’s actions
because I believe people’s entire make-up is more important than their mistakes.
Everyone is human and may succumb to decisions that seem right in the moment without
weighing possible consequences. Mistakes are part of life and embracing them is
how we learn and grow into our highest self. Smitherman’s illustrious past and
the way she handled the controversy show that she is a virtuous person who made
a mistake and learned from it. This woman is an honorable, affable person in my
opinion, and I believe her probation sentence was an appropriate punishment.
COMPANY ACTION PLAN
The
disputable action in this case lies in the fraudulent act of an individual using
her own health insurance to obtain medical care and a prescription for a student
and convincing the fifteen-year-old to lie about his identity. His illness was
treated, but word got out and the offender knew she would be better off turning
herself in than waiting for the police to arrest her. Parents around the
community and those of the victim were outraged with her dishonesty, neglect to
contact any of the teen’s emergency contacts, and her failure to utilize the
school system’s available medical care. Elwood’s current mission statement emphasizes
providing students with an “education in a safe, supportive, and stimulating
environment which will enhance the student’s intellectual, social, emotional
and physical development. Parents, school personnel and community members
cooperatively accept the responsibility for helping students to maximize their
potential” (Elwood Community School Corporation, 2017). This broad mission
statement includes an emphasis on student’s safety, but an open-door policy for
staff and students to voice their concerns should be included. Perhaps the
school could add something such as, “All faculty members and students are encouraged
to express their comments, worries, or concerns about school operations,
personal problems, or troubles regarding other students. The principal, vice principal,
and counselors have an open-door policy and a confidentiality agreement that applies
to students and staff so everyone can feel secure voicing their concerns, all
in an effort to make the school a better, more prosperous place for all.” Some
core values any school should include are safety, a positive learning
environment that emphasizes fairness, active participation, a challenging yet insightful
curriculum, and finally, relationships between faculty, students, and their
families. In order to prevent a similar controversy from occurring again, the
mission statement should be edited to include the open-door policy and made
public. Smitherman’s motivation to lie was that she felt it was her only option,
and she feared the boy’s home conditions would draw Child Service’s attention. With
this new policy, the school will refocus itself on the success and safety of
its students.
In
the future, the school district should include a section of the interview process
in which the potential employee is faced with a few hypothetical, yet realistic
controversial cases and the interviewer can analyze their insights to get a
better idea of how they would perform in a questionable situation. The school
could release their renewed mission statement over the summer and into the
beginning of the school year and assure the public that the incident was taken
care of and it will not happen again because they are prepared to help any
student who needs it. This plan will
promote a safe and welcoming environment within the school and will encourage
students’ interest in learning and participating. When students and employees feel
like their needs are being met and listened to, they will have a higher drive
to succeed, and the school will be a prosperous public good that will benefit
everyone who gets to experience it.
By Meredith Dyckman
References
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