A Cumberland County Grand Jury indicted a former Cumberland County High School Cheer Team coach for allegedly stealing from the program.
Donna Mifflin accused of misappropriating at least $5,155 in funds between April 2024 and October 2024. The missing money involved collections for cheer gear, spirit wear, and fundraising activities.
Mifflin collected payments from parents through cash, checks made payable to the school, and her personal Venmo account but failed to deposit all the funds. Mifflin overstated the cost of cheer gear and spirit wear to collect more money than needed and kept a portion of those funds.
“School officials must ensure that all collections are properly documented, receipted, and deposited in a timely manner,” Comptroller Jason Mumpower said. “Allowing one individual to control collections without oversight and using personal payment platforms significantly weakens internal controls and increases the risk of misappropriation.”
Mifflin also failed to deposit the total amount of money collected from a fundraiser and did not remit all funds received through her personal Venmo account.
Investigators identified at least $594.43 in cheer gear purchases for a family member of Mifflin who was also a cheerleader. There were no discernible payments made for those items.
Investigators identified additional questionable purchases totaling at least $524.81 for apparel for coaches and assistant coaches. These purchases were made using cheer funds without clear communication or approval from parents.
Mifflin suspended in October 2024.