Florida Principal Accused Of Stealing $900 From Mentally Challenged Child
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LAND O'LAKES (CBSMiami/AP) — A Florida elementary school principal is in hot water after being accused of stealing $900 from a mentally challenged 9-year-old.
The Tampa Bay Times reports 50-year-old Edward John Abernathy was arrested Thursday and charged with grand theft. A Pasco County Sheriff's Office release says deputies were told the child brought $2,100 of his parents' money to Connerton Elementary School in Land O'Lakes in October.
It says teachers told deputies they found the cash, counted it and locked it in the principal's office. It says an investigation showed Abernathy only gave the student's mother $1,200 when she went to pick up the cash, pocketing the rest.
Pasco County schools Superintendent Kurt Browning says Abernathy will be placed on paid administrative leave. It's unclear if Abernathy has a lawyer.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
