Tennessee principal, teacher indicted after investigation

By DANIEL SMITHSON

Click here for updates on this story

    SCOTTS HILL, Tennessee (WSMV) — A Tennessee elementary school teacher and principal have been indicted after an investigation by the state’s comptroller office.

The investigation, which began after Henderson County Public Schools officials reported time reporting inconsistencies, determined Scotts Hill Elementary principal Brian Lane authorized 37 falsified timesheets for teacher Tiffany Koelsch to receive nearly $8,000 in wages and benefits she did not earn, according to a media release.

Koelsch was paid for working more than 350 hours at an after-school program where she never performed work, the comptroller’s office said. She was also paid for working 50 hours that she did not work in a school tutoring program.

This month, the Henderson County Grand Jury indicted Tiffany Koelsch on several charges, including theft of property over $2,500, destruction of and tampering with governmental records, and official misconduct, according to the release. Brian Lane was indicted on one count of theft of property over $2,500, computer crimes, tampering with or fabricating evidence, destruction of or tampering with governmental records and official misconduct.

“School officials must require timesheets to be submitted and signed by staff before they process payroll,” Comptroller Jason Mumpower said in the media release. “Each timesheet should be signed by the employee and their supervisor to certify that the information is accurate, which will help reduce the risk of fraud, waste, or abuse.”

Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.