The new school year is underway, but some Baltimore educators said they have yet to get paid for their work in the last school year and believe they are owed, in some cases, thousands of dollars.
They contract with a nonprofit, Leaders of Tomorrow Youth Center, or LTYC, to provide arts education in Baltimore City and Baltimore County schools, among other school districts.
WJZ Investigates first brought you their story last month.
Instructor says he wants his money
Jermaine Melvin said LTYC owes him $9,000, and he remained hopeful he would eventually get it.
“I’m praying because something is better than nothing at this point,” Melvin said.
The dance educator said he is still waiting to be paid for work he did in Baltimore City classrooms in May and June.
He is one of several teachers who sat down with WJZ Investigates last month, looking for help.
“We did what we were supposed to do. We have been patient long enough, but I guarantee you his bills are paid. His lights are on in his house,” Melvin said. “He has gas in his vehicle. It doesn’t make sense. None of this adds up at all.”
Melvin is referring to Dr. Dermell Brunson, who founded LTYC.
LTYC gets money from school systems to run the programs, then contracts with teachers and pays those educators directly.
Dr. Brunson told us last month that his hands were tied, explaining that some of the schools and other vendors did not pay him on time, so he did not have the money to pay the instructors.
“This last year has been the toughest year on record for LTYC, mainly because of the late payments from districts, but also because of just the climate for nonprofits,” Dr. Brunson said last month.
Brunson promised the educators would eventually get the remaining funds.
“Yes, eventually, as we’ve told our team, they’re going to get caught up, and when they’re caught up with us, we’ll get caught up with you,” Brunson said at the time. “It’s just pretty simple.”
In the weeks since the WJZ Investigates story aired, the contract teachers got their back pay through April.
Melvin shared a letter from LTYC that stated, “By the end of August 25, we will have received the remainder of all past due receivables.”
But Melvin said no more money came, and for the past several weeks, he has gotten more letters stating, “LTYC is currently unable to catch up instructor invoices until all past due payments have been received from multiple partners. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and confusion this has caused.”
“It’s hard for us to get above water when we’re still sinking. And it just sucks, and we’re over here scrambling knowing that we put in the work,” Melvin said. “There’s no reason we should be scrambling right now.”
Dr. Brunson responded in an email stating those owed money are “independent contractors, not employees, and entered into their contract… with full knowledge of possibilities of delayed contractual payments.”
He objected to them being called teachers and said, “They aren’t full-time with any district and are only paid by LTYC as flex staff…”
He said, “LTYC is at the mercy of partners when awaiting payments.”
He noted, “We don’t have an exact date” on when the contractors will get their final installments.
But he said they have “maintained contact and communication.”
Inspector General, city schools response
The state inspector general for education is an independent watchdog that looks into issues like these.
The office could not confirm nor deny the existence of an investigation. But sources said the inspector general is in the process of conducting interviews in this matter.
Baltimore City schools, citing the value of the program, extended their contract with LTYC in May.
It now runs through June 2026, and documents show the amount increased by $3 million to $7.5 million.
The school system referred WJZ Investigates to its past statement, which said in part, “To be clear, any failure on the part of LTYC to pay their employees is solely the responsibility of LTYC. Any inquiries regarding this matter should be directed to the organization’s president and founder, Dr. Dermell Brunson.”
The city said it paid out more than $605,000, and as of last month, had a little more than $31,000 outstanding because the organization was “performing services beyond the amount authorized in the purchase order, which is not compliant with our procurement procedures.”
Other school systems, including Anne Arundel County, told WJZ Investigates they have fully paid.
“Baltimore City has the money. Baltimore City gives it to him. His job is to give it to us. If he’s not doing it, why is Baltimore City doing business with a man like that?” Melvin asked.
He now has a new job working directly for city schools, but a video of him in the classroom is prominently displayed on LTYC’s homepage next to a link asking for donations.
“That is crazy because now they’re using my likeness and again not even paying me,” Melvin said.
He just wants answers. And his check.
LTYC email
Here is the latest response from LTYC’s founder:
“LTYC instructors from last school year are owed mostly only one remaining invoice from the end of the school year…LTYC is still verifying multiple Q3 and Q4 payments from our partners for April-June services. Multiple partners, not only City Schools.”
“LTYC Instructors are 1099 independent contractors, not employees, and entered into their contract and this past school year with full knowledge of the possibilities of delayed contractual payments. We discussed the payment delays from partners last summer, in August 2024. This alert was for persons serving in all of LTYC’s service areas, not isolated to DC or Baltimore or etc.”
“LTYC Instructors are not ‘Teachers or Maryland Teachers’…they aren’t full-time with any district and are only paid by LTYC as flex staff, freelance teaching artists, arts practitioners and arts educators…also having similar work they offer for their own businesses, and other entities as independent contractors. These are temp or flex jobs. The contract all instructors signed makes it clear about ‘LTYC’s sole discretion’ of contractual payment processing date….based upon how LTYC is paid as a vendor with government funding.”
“LTYC Instructors have been paid ongoing, all last school year, just on a delayed invoice processing that began in January 2025. And were made aware via in-person team meetings, virtual meetings and multiple memos about the reasons in advance, and all year. Wasn’t a shock to them about the delays…and we’ve maintained contact and communication.”
“LTYC is at the mercy of partners when awaiting payments. We don’t control when payments are received, and as of this past Friday, we’ve received updates to pending payments, and we are still awaiting a meeting with partners this week for finalizing all apparent past due payments from last school year. We don’t have an exact date on the full last payment to instructional contractors…we will continue to process catch-up invoice payments as funds become available to LTYC. We aren’t upset, angry, or anything negative against any of our partners; we are working to resolve and find ongoing solutions for how personnel-based, non-profit vendors are paid in a more timely fashion.”