Stephanie Olmsted, 42, was found guilty of one count of grand theft embezzlement by Judge John Salazar in Santa Cruz County Superior Court.
She was sentenced to 36 months of probation, 60 days in jail, 300 hours of community service and is required to repay all the money taken — $9,384.03 — plus several fines and fees totaling $350. The court recommended a work-release program for Olmsted. According to the sentencing, Olmsted is not allowed to possess financial documents that are not her own, and is required to report the conviction to any employer if the position includes handling money.
During the June 19 hearing, Olmsted provided a check for $9,300 to a representative from the school. The final $84.03 was still to be paid.
“We’re heartened that she did pay back the restitution,” said prosecutor Nicole Ellen Jones. “We could not have done this case without the cooperation of parents at the school and the Panther Club.”
According to court documents, Olmsted made more than 10 unauthorized withdrawals from the Cougar Club’s bank account at Union Bank while she was treasurer between October 2010 and August 2011. Also according to notes taken by the court, Olmsted was having health and psychological problems at the time.
I absolutely adore Stephanie and her family. None of us know what went through her mind or the circumstances that led to her taking this money. That is between Stephanie, her family and the courts.
I'm proud to live in the SLV and be a part of this community. However, those who have your noses so far up in the air as to not be able to smell your own stink need a serious slap of reality. None of us are perfect and we all stumble in life and make mistakes. It is only that our mistakes are not broadcast upon the community in such a blatant regard for you all to cast your stabby words over.
Stephanie has paid the money back. She has had her day in court and justice has deemed she does x amount of time, x amount of probation and that she work in a career that does not involve financial disclosure.
Now quit casting your hate filled rhetoric and get on with living your own lives.
In regards to people making mistakes, you bet. All of us have made them in one way or another. But what's the true definition of a mistake?
"A wrong judgment; misunderstanding; a wrong action or statement proceeding from faulty judgment, inadequate knowledge, or inattention."
So what kind of mistakes do people make on a regular basis? You grab 1% milk from the cold case instead of 2%. You change lanes without fully looking over your shoulder and narrowly miss hitting the car beside you. You forget to put the new coversheet on the TPS report, even though you got the memo.
Those are mistakes. The actions that Stephanie took were not mistakes. Those were calculated, planned actions that occurred 10 times over a 10-month period. Accidentally depositing monies from a fundraising event into the wrong account ONCE is a mistake. Intentionally withdrawing funds 10 times in 10 months is not a mistake. She was given repeated opportunities to confess, pay the money back and be given a virtual pass by the rest of the parents in the Club to quietly move onward. She chose not to. THAT was a mistake.
When a mistake becomes a crime, it deserves to be broadcast amongst the community. That information is critical for future decision-making. Stephanie will never again be able to have her hands in a pot of money that doesn't belong to her, and that may not have come to light otherwise.
And I agree--we don't know what through her mind or the circumstances that led to her taking this money. But I strongly disagree that it is between Stephanie, her family and the courts. She took money that parents like me have been donating to the middle school for years (five for me). That makes it entirely my business.
See? It is possible to make a valid point without casting "hate filled rhetoric."
I see lots of support and forgiveness for a person who made a tremendous mistake that made many feel betrayed and violated.
I agree, and wrote, that I believe it is time to move forward, but insulting people is not the way to facilitate that process.
Yes, taking the money was wrong. Yes, the money has been paid back. Yes, appropriate punishment has been doled out. But I'm more disgusted with the anonymous mean moms than anyone else involved in this saga.
To Teacher Tammy: I may feel pity and compassion towards someone who stole my kid's money but that doesn't preclude me from harboring ill will and feeling distrustful towards her. She is going to have to earn that on her own over the course of many years....
It might serve some to take a look around and understand that there are other groups of good people who may not perceive things the same way. Whether it be a political persuasion, a candidate, how well or poorly run and organization is, how to support or reject someone who has made a terrible mistake, how to help that person re-assimilate into the "tight knit" community.
You choose.
It sounds like the judge heard the evidence and made a ruling based on what was presented.
So many people stood up for her when the news first broke, and insisted she was a good person and she didn't do it.
Where are they now?
She made a terrible mistake and has now paid for it, both literally and figuratively. She will not be involved in school fundraising ever again, but she should be able to do all other things a mom with kids at school can do to be a supportive parent without further recrimination.
It is easy to forgive people for things that don't really matter, but it's hard to forgive the things that truly make us angry or cause us to feel betrayed. From here on out, this story is no longer about her and what she did, but about us and what we do.
They who are no longer rallying have been betrayed and are probably not rallying because they rightfully feel betrayed. Why on Earth would they still rally? Not only did she steal from the children's money; but she lead those good people who believed in her, stood by her, to believe she didn't. The only reason she faced the music at all was due to the lawsuit. If she had faced the fact she stole money and paid it back before charges, there wouldn't need to be a lawsuit. She brought this upon herself, and all I can say is I am so glad to live in this valley. People's ready way of forgiving is refreshing.
I am glad to hear people still plan on donating to the Panther Club for it is obvious they made sure to protect the interests of their children.
I hope Mrs. Olmsted receives the treatment she needs.