Teacher Gabriel Hood Accused of Stealing Money from Student Community Service Group
Poor New Orleans is getting poorer. Sixth grade teacher Gabriel C. Hood, 28, was arrested on charges that he stole money from a student community service group, the Tchefuncte Middle School Builder’s Club. The club is cosponsored by the Kiwanis and gets middle school students to participate in community service projects to help other kids, seniors, the disabled, and the poor.
Hood is charged with taking over $1,100 from student dues and fundraisers and buying a $450 camera with the club’s money. It is tempting to call him Robin Hood, but that legendary figure gave to the poor and did not steal from them. Maybe we should call him “Robbing the ‘hood” instead.
The former teacher is facing two counts of felony theft and one count of misdemeanor theft. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 12 years in jail.
His attorney says it’s a misunderstanding and that Hood is a law abiding citizen. Yeah, right, a law abiding citizen with sticky fingers, I guess.
Police say that Hood personally cashed checks that were written for club dues and for two fundraisers for needy families. In one case, almost $800 was never given to the charity. In another fundraiser, the charity received only $300 of the $400 that was raised by the kids.
An investigation was started by school officials after parents raised concerns about the group. The school then contacted police after Hood resigned for personal reasons.
(Don’t you just hate that these crooks are allowed to resign? It really ticks me off.)
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