(The Center Square) — A former Livingston Parish School Board employee was charged with felony theft after the school board noticed funds missing from a school activity account.
The school board reported two instances of theft by different individuals to the Legislative Auditor. After an audit was conducted, the auditor said the theft totaled $29,000 between May 2023 and January 2024, and $350 in September 2024.
According to their report, a former employee received reimbursement for baseball equipment purchases and supplies costing $29,000. After submitting a request for reimbursement, the accused received the funds back from a school account he oversaw.
While the reimbursements were said to have been approved by the principal without verification of the items being received or used, further investigation showed they were not received by the school. After the employee was charged, the stolen funds were returned. The report does not state by whom or how.
Apart from the $29,000 stolen, a second theft totaling $350 was found. This occurred in September 2024 after the School Board noticed fraudulent withdrawals on bank statements from a student activity account. Upon reporting the theft to the police, an arrest was made. According to the report, the financial institution paid back the funds.
While theft is a great concern, these weren’t the only issues made public in the audit. Many parents raised concerns to the superintendent about how funds for cheer competitions and activities were being collected.
After an investigation by the school board, funds collected paid a cheer coach who is not a coach in the school system.
These funds also paid for cheer competition travel for the school sponsor and cheer coach’s family. The report said a Venmo account was created in the school board’s name without authorization. School policy prohibits the use of outside methods like Venmo to collect funds. The investigation is ongoing concerning the account found.
