STILLWATER — A former Stillwater Public Schools employee accused of embezzling more than $200,000 of district funds is scheduled to return to Payne County District Court later this month.
Stacy Kay Hampton waived her right to a preliminary hearing during a court hearing on Dec. 20. Arraignment is set for Jan. 27.
Hampton, 52, of Stillwater, is charged with embezzling funds from the school nutrition services program.
She “took money specifically earmarked to feed school kids,” said State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd. Hampton “was in charge of collecting money from school cafeterias and making the deposits.” An investigative audit performed by the SA&I staff revealed the theft of $216,196 of public funds over a seven-year period: Fiscal Years 2013-19.
“This employee was literally taking food out of the mouths of children,” Byrd said.
Payne County District Attorney Laura Austin Thomas requested the audit after being alerted by Jericah Dawson, chief financial officer for Stillwater Public Schools. Dawson was conducting an internal investigation of Hampton’s work hours and discovered the discrepancy, court records indicate.
Hampton, who was an administrative assistant for the school nutrition program for more than 10 years, was placed on leave in 2019.
Austin Thomas filed the felony embezzlement charge on April 29, 2022. Hampton’s bond was set at $75,000.
The school’s total loss was calculated to be $242,292, which included the theft of $216,196 plus $26,095 for the forensic audit performed by the State Auditor’s office, but doesn’t include legal fees, Dawson informed the court.
The school district received a $10,000 payment from the Oklahoma State Insurance Group, Dawson reported.
“This extensive and thorough investigation would not have been possible without the interagency cooperation of the Stillwater Public Schools, the State Auditor’s Office, and the Stillwater Police Department, working in concert to present a prosecutable criminal case,” Thomas said. “I am grateful the school brought this criminal activity to light and pursued further investigation.”
The full audit report is posted on the Oklahoma State Auditor & Inspector’s website at www.sai.ok.gov.