Kendall PTA alleges former treasurer stole over $80,000
[Transcript] The Kendall Demonstration Elementary School’s Parent Teacher Association (KPTA) has filed a civil complaint against a Deaf woman, Jenny Nygaard, in which they accuse her of stealing more than $80,000 from the KPTA.
The complaint was written by two attorneys representing the KPTA and was filed in the D.C. Superior Court on May 31st.
There was an “initial scheduling conference hearing” on August 30th, but according to online records, Nygaard was not present, which resulted in an order of default. This could mean the court has ruled against Nygaard for the full amount that is requested by the KPTA.
There is a “status hearing” scheduled on November 1st.
The complaint is available to read online on D.C. Superior Court’s eAccess and I will summarize it.
The KPTA is accusing Nygaard of using her position as the KPTA Treasurer from 2011 to 2016 to steal more than $80,000 to pay for her personal mortgage payments, trips to Mexico and the Dominican Republic, for tanning and nail salons, and for daily expenses such as clothing, groceries, home repair, parking, and snacks.
The KPTA said their funds came entirely from fundraisers organized by parents and donations from those who wanted to support Kendall.
The complaint details specific years and specific amounts that Nygaard allegedly either charged or withdrew from the KPTA’s Capital One account.
In 2011, the total amount was $627.
In 2012, it was $9,570, which included over $4,000 in cash withdrawals.
In 2013, it was $19,785, which included over $5,000 in cash withdrawals and $1,800 in mortgage payments.
In 2014, it was $24,599, which included over $14,800 in cash withdrawals and $449 to Caribbean Cruise Lines.
In 2015, the total was $18,624, which included over $9,700 in mortgage payments and flight tickets to and from the Dominican Republic.
In 2016, it was $15,549. She was replaced as the KPTA Treasurer in June 2016, but allegedly continued to be able to steal over $6,000.
The complaint said in December 2016, the then-current KPTA Treasurer and President confronted Nygaard about the money. The treasurer met with her again on January 11, 2017 and showed her a list of transactions that he thought were personal. That night, Nygaard emailed the KPTA Board and apologized for what she called “financial mismanagement,” “poor choices,” and said she had a plan of resolution.
The complaint said Nygaard changed the mailing address for bank statements so it was sent to her home and provided false and misleading “Treasurer Reports” to the KPTA.
The complaint said what Nygaard did damaged the KPTA’s financial health and caused the deaf community to lose trust in the KPTA.
The Daily Moth has reached out to a Facebook account with Nygaard’s name on it, but did not get an immediate response.
We also reached out to the KPTA and the Clerc Center for comments.
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The KPTA said they can’t comment due to the ongoing litigation on this matter.
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The Clerc Center provided this statement:
"The Clerc Center does not comment on legal matters of the KPTA. The KPTA is an important organization that is greatly valued by the Kendall and Clerc Center community and we will respect its status as an independently operated nonprofit organization led by its own governing board. The KPTA has long been and will continue to be a wonderful supporter and advocate for our students and our community."
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