Elm Grove Elementary PTO President Arrested For Felony Theft

A Bossier City woman has been arrested for felony theft.

49-year-old Cynthia Lee Herring, of the 5800 block of Gold Crest Drive, was taken into custody after an investigation involving Bossier Sheriff’s Department investigators in conjunction with the Bossier Parish School Board and Superintendent D.C. Machen. 

Herring, who was the Elm Grove Middle School Parent Teacher Organization President, was charged with misappropriating approximately $6,300 of P.T.O. money.

The problem came to the school board’s attention when the Elm Grove Middle School Principal filed a report with the Bossier Sheriff’s Department, via B.S.D. Captain Danny Dison, the school board’s head of security.  Dison conducted an investigation and concluded that Herring had not made deposits of P.T.O. funds for several school events, including proceeds from an October 5, 2010, football game, plus proceeds from a dance held at the school on September 10, 2010.

Herring, who was not an employee of the Bossier Parish School Board, was in full control of the proceeds and was responsible for depositing the funds in a P.T.O. account that was not connected in any way to any school board account.  During questioning by Dison, Herring admitted misappropriating P.T.O. funds for her use because of personal financial problems.  Herring told Dison she intends to reimburse the Elm Grove Middle School P.T.O. for the stolen funds.

Herring was booked into the Bossier Maximum Security Facility and released on $1.000 bond.