The PTA president at a school in Queens is accused of pocketing over $40,000 that was meant for children’s programs and using it for personal expenses like vet bills, Amazon shopping, and Uber Eats, as reported by The Post.

Athena Gonzalez stepped down from her position on September 27 after other PTA members at PS 166 in Astoria claimed she stole the money. The interim president shared this news at a meeting on October 7. The PTA’s secretary found out about the missing funds after noticing fraudulent bank activity. PTA members were first informed about the issue during an emergency meeting on September 27.

Uncovering The Scandal

During the meeting, a $10,000 check made out to cash was placed on the table, but no one claimed to have written it, sources say. Another check was reportedly made out to Gonzalez, as mentioned by the PTA during a meeting in October. Members worked together to track the charges and found that Gonzalez used the majority of the funds over the summer, charging them to the PTA credit card.

They discovered that some of the charges went to her vet and noted that she had been sharing posts on social media about her recent vacations and a new car. The PTA members reported their findings to the principal and the NYPD. According to the treasurer’s report, the PTA had $64,817 in June, but by September, the balance had dropped to $12,564.

Gonzalez became the PTA president in June 2023. The PTA told the police about unauthorized transactions on their business account from December 11, 2023, to September 23 of this year, according to an NYPD spokesperson. No arrests have been made, and the investigation is still ongoing. As a result, the PTA’s bank accounts are frozen, and some upcoming events for kids have been postponed or canceled.

#Clique, what are your thoughts?