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Columbus – In an audit released today, Auditor of State Keith Faber issues a finding for recovery for $5,344 against Gayle Huff, the former high school secretary for Vinton County School District.

During her employment, Huff was responsible for receiving and processing various student fundraiser monies. She was responsible to sign a triplicate pay-in form, prepare a bank deposit slip, and then deposit the money in the bank. In March 2018, multiple Student Activity Advisors informed the District Treasurer that Huff had either not made deposits or had not made them in a timely manner. These tips prompted the Treasurer to open an internal audit, which uncovered that Huff had been pocketing fundraising dollars. In response to the issue, the school district turned the matter over to authorities and promptly made changes to the internal control processes and cash handling procedures. Huff resigned in June 2018.

“Stealing money meant for student enrichment goes against everything a school employee should stand for,” Auditor Faber said. “I commend the school for taking quick action to uncover the issue and immediately putting more robust controls in place to prevent anyone taking advantage of students like this again.”

On Feb. 7, 2019, Huff entered a plea of guilty to one count of Theft, a misdemeanor of the first degree. The court ordered Huff to repay the school $5,344, the same amount as the Auditor’s finding for recovery.

As of, Feb. 8, 2019, Liberty Mutual Insurance paid $4,844 of restitution to the school district. The Auditor of State’s office considers this a partial repayment of the finding, a balance of $500 remains.

A full copy of this report is available online.

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The Auditor of State’s office, one of five independently elected statewide offices in Ohio is responsible for auditing more than 6,000 state and local government agencies. Under the direction of Auditor Keith Faber, the office also provides financial services to local governments, investigates and prevents fraud in public agencies, and promotes transparency in government. 

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