Former Powell PTA chair sued for stealing $19k in school funds

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our school always recruits a teacher for the Treasurer position in part to keep it all on the up and up

Interesting. How does having a teacher in the role reduce the risk of malfeasance?

Teachers just feel much more accountable and have many more reasons to be honest in this position. It's always worked for us.

[Anonymous]

(part of it is that teachers approached this position with a lot of professionalism, in my experience, versus parents who sometimes take th volunteer PTO role pretty casually.)

[Anonymous]

Same thing happened at Lafayette 5-6 years ago for a significantly larger sum. People in a position of trust who steal from kids should be crucified.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Same thing happened at Lafayette 5-6 years ago for a significantly larger sum. People in a position of trust who steal from kids should be crucified.

What was her name again? She really should be remembered.

[Anonymous]

How much was taken at Lafayette from its PTA? Was it returned quickly?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How much was taken at Lafayette from its PTA? Was it returned quickly?

I think it was about $40,000. Percentage-wise, it was probably less, as Lafayette is such a large school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How much was taken at Lafayette from its PTA? Was it returned quickly?

It was not returned quickly. She had even sent it overseas to try and hide it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How much was taken at Lafayette from its PTA? Was it returned quickly?

It was not returned quickly. She had even sent it overseas to try and hide it.

It was returned when police got involved, in a (successful) attempt to avoid prosecution. Her job was to manage budgets for USAID -- I wonder if she was stealing from them too.

[Anonymous]

Did the Lafayette story get publicly reported??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did the Lafayette story get publicly reported??

Yes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Did the Lafayette story get publicly reported??

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/parent-at-dc-school-alleged-to-have-misused-home-school-association-funds/2017/08/21/f92f53f4-8674-11e7-a50f-e0d4e6ec070a_story.html

[Anonymous]

Doesn’t surprise me. There are many PTA folks stealing money in different ways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Did the Lafayette story get publicly reported??

Yes.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/parent-at-dc-school-alleged-to-have-misused-home-school-association-funds/2017/08/21/f92f53f4-8674-11e7-a50f-e0d4e6ec070a_story.html

"The Home and School Association at a D.C. elementary school says it has contacted police about a parent’s suspected misuse of about $25,000 of the organization’s funds.

In a letter to school families over the weekend, the board of the HSA at Lafayette Elementary School said questionable transactions dating to 2016 were discovered this month and that actions have been taken to improve safeguards.

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The letter identified the person believed to be responsible only as a Lafayette parent and said the person had agreed to repay the funds."

[Anonymous]

Does Lafayette parent still live in the area?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does Lafayette parent still live in the area?

She was or is a USAid contracting officer and the Prosecutor's office declined to press charges so presumably she was able to keep her job. She continued to send her kids there for at least a year after this was discovered.