Police Investigating Wolcott Teacher Over Possible Missing Funds

Police said they are investigating a Wolcott teacher in connection with possible funds missing from the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO).

Wolcott Police Chief Ed Stephens said the investigation into the teacher started a few weeks ago following a complaint from the school's superintendent.

Stephens said there may be funds missing from the PTO of a grammar school in Wolcott. Stephens did not name the school.

The name the teacher accused has not been released because the investigation is ongoing and no charges have been filed.

Tony Gasper, the superintendent of Wolcott schools, put out a letter to families and staff:

Hello Wolcott Families & Staff,

I’d like to inform you, to the degree that I can, of a very serious matter for our school district. In the near future, you should expect to see press coverage of a matter involving one of our teachers. Because this is a personnel matter and also an active police investigation, I am not able to give you a full description but I do want to assure you of some important details:

The matter in no way involves any threat to student safety or well-being.
The matter in no way involves Board of Education funds.
The matter did not have a negative impact on students’ work in the classroom.

I realize that a message like this can be disconcerting but I want to assure you that the Board of Education, school administrators, the full staff, and I are committed to ensuring a safe, productive, and nurturing learning environment for all of our students.