No school-issued items were stolen from Harford County schools superintendent Sean Bulson while at an education conference, according to a report from the Maryland Office of the Inspector General for Education.

The report comes after Harford’s school board requested an investigation from the inspector general’s office on Wednesday. The board called for the probe during a special closed-door meeting after audio of an alleged 911 call purportedly from Bulson circulated on social media last week.

The audio, in which the caller said he’d been robbed by a woman whose name he didn’t know while he was sleeping, led to local politicians, including the county executive, to call for Bulson’s removal.

The school board placed Bulson on administrative leave Wednesday evening and, soon after, Board President Aaron Poynton resigned — though he said his resignation was unrelated to the call.

“OIGE found that hotel security staff recovered the equipment from the Superintendent’s hotel room and returned it to the Superintendent,” the report states. “The Harford County Public Schools IT Director determined that no breach or tampering occurred.”

The conference in New Orleans happened in April 2024.

Bulson could not be reached for comment Monday.

In a statement, Poynton wrote that Bulson contacted him when he thought he’d been robbed, and Poynton advised the superintendent to file a report.

“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,” Poynton wrote.

He said he asked for the state’s inspector general to “independently corroborate these facts.” He said he’s read the full investigation report and it “accurately reflects my recollection.”

Poynton said it’s standard for employees to be placed on administrative leave when they are being investigated.

In the report, investigators pointed out that Poynton was aware of ”the reporting of the lost equipment, its recovery, the IT Director’s examination, and the return of the laptop and replacement of the cellular phone for use by the Superintendent 20 months before the BOE’s request for an independent investigation by this office.”

Investigators noted that it wasn’t until last week’s audio recording release “that the board’s suspicions concerning that event again came to light,” according to the full investigation report.

The report adds that investigators know “of the totality of the events that occurred″ that day, but that it falls outside of the inspector general’s authority since it doesn’t constitute fraud, waste or abuse. It’s also a personal matter, the report notes.

Dyann Mack, Harford’s interim superintendent, said in a statement that the board should “carefully review its findings and determine what additional actions or decisions may be necessary. As that process moves forward, my priority is ensuring the continued effective operation of our school system and maintaining trust through transparency and accountability.”

A summary of the investigation is on the state IG’s website. Read the full report below.

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