Lone Star School has alerted parents and employees of an alleged embezzlement within the school’s Athletic Booster Club.
In a statement released on February 11th, Superintendent Tracie Hale said the matter was a “serious issue,” and began as an internal investigation after a vendor notified the school about not receiving payment. That investigation led to local law enforcement being notified and a police report being filed.
Hale said the investigation also revealed a suspected mishandling of money in the school’s cheer account, which is handled by the same person. Superintendent Hale said that the individual, who has not yet been named, was an employee of the district and was terminated.
Like most extra-curricular booster clubs, Lone Star’s Booster Club is not managed by the school itself, but rather by a group of individuals dedicated to the cause that the booster club supports, in this case, the school’s successful athletic program. Booster clubs are generally responsible for fundraising for the team and supporting them as they travel or compete throughout their season. They also assist with special events such as Lone Star’s yearly athletic banquet.
Hale said Lone Star “took and is still taking all necessary steps to address the situation while under an active investigation. The Booster Club has realigned officers, reviewed account protocol, and has added additional measures to assure transparency in an effort [to] prevent similar issues in the future.”
The amount in the alleged embezzlement was not disclosed. Sapulpa Times has reached out to Sapulpa Police for more on actual charges being filed, but as of yet, has not been able to obtain that information.
