BAYTOWN, Texas – The president of a parent teacher organization has been charged with stealing more than $100,000.
The money turned up missing from the Victoria Walker Elementary school bank account and police accuse Vanessa Rodriguez of taking it.
According to court documents, Rodriguez, 27, used a school-issued debit card to access the money. She’s also accused of withdrawing cash from the ATM, and in person, inside the bank.
The thefts started in August 2016 and lasted through November, investigators said.
Rodriguez turned herself into the police, but quickly posted bond.
A KPRC news crew stopped by her Baytown house to see if she wanted to comment about the allegations, but no one answered the door.
“To see that amount of money stolen is very upsetting,” said Jamie Graves.
Graves' daughter Lauren is in the third grade at Victoria Walker Elementary.
“It’s pretty shocking, when I first heard there was money missing, it was upsetting because as a parent you donate a lot of money to your school and community,” she said.
Money that was meant for the students and to make improvements at the school.
Graves said in the past, the PTO used funds to install new playground equipment.
Now, the PTO has been shut down all together.
The organization no longer exists at Victoria Walker Elementary.
“That’s even more sad,” Graves said.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Goose Creek ISD said:
“While everyone is innocent until proven guilty, we are deeply saddened by the alleged theft of funds from the Victoria Walker PTO. This incident is not representative of the thousands of parents who work tirelessly hosting fundraisers and volunteering on our campuses to create great experiences for our students. It’s incomprehensible that a person could possibly steal from children and the parents who have worked so hard to raise money for the organization. Victoria Walker Elementary has a fantastic group of engaged parents, and we hope that, in time, volunteers will step up and reform the PTO.”