Ex-principal of East Vancouver school accused of stealing donations for families in need
CBC
The former principal of a tiny East Vancouver school is facing allegations she misappropriated about $170,000 in school funds, including gift cards that were supposed to go to families in need.
The Vancouver School Board (VSB) filed suit in B.C. Supreme Court on Friday against Tricia Rooney, also known as Tricia Low, who was principal of Britannia Elementary School from 2017 to 2020.
The notice of claim alleges, among other things, that Rooney kept $13,289 in gift cards that had been donated for struggling families, saved cash raised through school fundraisers for herself, and booked and then cancelled school events so she could arrange for refunds to be sent to her personally.
The school board's claim alleges Rooney "intentionally engaged in the unlawful acts of conversion, theft and fraud."
Kirsten Slenning, chair of the school's parent advisory council, expressed distress about the allegations in a written statement.
"We are proud of our small, but strong school community. Many in our student body rely on the school for support in many ways, which makes these allegations all the more troubling," she said.
Rooney hung up on a reporter when asked to comment about the claims in the lawsuit. None of the allegations have been proven in court, and she has yet to file a response to the claim.
A VSB spokesperson declined to comment while the case is before the courts, but said the school district "takes these allegations very seriously." They did not answer questions about whether the allegations were reported to police.
According to the school district, approximately 200 students are enrolled at Britannia, including many who come from families struggling to pay for food and clothing, as well as a number who are in government care. About half of the student body is Indigenous.
Rooney's alleged financial misconduct first came to light in September 2019, when a routine VSB budgetary report revealed an "abnormal deficit," the claim says. At the time, Rooney allegedly claimed the deficit was because of a delay in receiving a provincial grant, but she did not provide any documentation to support that explanation.
A second budgetary report in October 2019 showed that "an abnormal amount" of reimbursement cheques had been issued directly to Rooney, according to the claim.
The VSB says it launched a formal investigation in January 2020, when it became clear Rooney was unable to explain the deficit.
That investigation uncovered allegations of wrongdoing dating back to at least December 2017, just months into Rooney's time at the school.
The claim alleges Rooney had been writing and cashing cheques made out to herself, using her school board credit card for personal purchases, trying to use the same card to pay her personal creditors, misappropriating donated gift cards, taking funds raised through events including a summer barbecue and keeping refunds from cancelled events.
For the second time in just over a year, the Town of Three Rivers had to limit access to a public meeting after threats of violence.
The Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) is accusing the province’s negotiating body of “bad-faith bargaining” regarding its commitment to hiring more teachers.
The man behind micro-shelters once placed in Toronto's St. James Park is continuing his work even after the city removed them — and for one unhoused man, it's made all the difference.
A phone call where the person on the other end can’t hear a word you're saying — that’s what Nathalie-Isabelle Richard says it's like trying to call someone in Iqaluit these days.
Ottawa will provide an additional $1.17 billion to Alberta in order to extend the federal-provincial subsidized child-care program for another year.
Toronto has cancelled an automated traffic enforcement pilot intended to help fight congestion in the wake of the provincial government’s ban on speed cameras in Ontario, CBC Toronto has learned.
Some Tahltan First Nation members in northern B.C. are raising concerns about the timing of an “upfront payment” from a mining company ahead of a crucial vote on the Eskay Creek mine.
To illustrate the incredible upheaval that federal politics in Canada has experienced over the last 12 months, one could do worse than to simply look at the last two Liberal caucus holiday parties.
Alberta’s auditor general says he was denied information he requested from the Department of Municipal Affairs while attempting to assess flood mitigation systems.
Flooding in B.C.'s Fraser Valley, caused by overflow from the Nooksack River in Washington state, is expected to reach its peak Friday, as highways and some schools remain closed and residents assess the damage.
Three Scottish men accused in the 2023 killing of Ontario restaurant owner Sharif Rahman after a dispute over an unpaid bill appeared in an Owen Sound court Friday morning after their extradition to Canada.
A provincially appointed supervisor has fired the director of education at Ontario's largest school board, amid a shakeup of board governance by the education minister.
A Calgary Transit shuttle bus went up in flames Friday morning.