Liberty kindergarten teacher accused of theft of cash, computers, student's lunch money

LIBERTY

A Liberty kindergarten teacher is on paid administrative leave after a police investigation into money missing from the school and three missing Chromebooks.

Justina Hafely is a cheerleading coach for seventh-and eighth-grade students, according to a police report. She was in charge of collecting money for shoes, pom-poms and hair bows, which totaled $40 per cheerleader.

But police said that based on school records, the money was never deposited.

A school employee also discovered that three Chromebooks were missing from a cart in Hafely’s room.

When police searched her car Nov. 19, they found the money from the parents, along with three Chromebooks reported missing from the school.

Police also discovered that $30 given to Hafely from a kindergartner for school lunch money was never turned into the school.

Hafely faces a misdemeanor charge of theft.

Read more about the matter in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.