Former school principal stole donations, withheld gift cards for needy families, Vancouver lawsuit alleges

The former principal of an East Vancouver elementary school is accused of defrauding the Vancouver School Board of more than $170,000 over a period of at least two years.

The allegations against Tricia Low, also known as Tricia Rooney, are enumerated in a civil lawsuit filed by the school board in B.C. Supreme Court last week. Low has not yet filed a response to the VSB's notice of civil claim, and the allegations it contains have not been proven in court.

According to court documents, Low was employed as a principal in the Vancouver School District from July 2005 until April 2020. Her current occupation is unknown.

Low became the principal at Britannia Community Elementary School in August 2017, and her alleged misconduct began that December, at the latest, according to the VSB's claim.

The board alleges that Low misappropriated school funds and other assets "in a variety of ways," in breach of her contract and her fiduciary duty to the school and the district.

According to the civil claim, Low allegedly kept money raised through school fundraising events for her own personal use, misappropriated gift cards that had been donated to the school for use by families in need, and booked, then cancelled, school events for the purpose of directing refunds to herself.

The lawsuit also accuses Low of writing and cashing cheques to herself, misusing a district-issued "payment card," and failing to submit financial reports to the school, allegedly in an effort to conceal her wrongdoing.

The school district claims that Low caused a loss of $170,451.37 in "school funds," meaning those received by Britannia Community Elementary through fundraising, rather than from the district.

That total includes $51,568.60 attributed to "use of restricted accounts," $48,832.39 in "wrongfully issued cheques," $39,281.88 in unauthorized payment card uses, $17,480 in "wrongfully claimed field trip expenses," and $13,288.50 in "withheld gift cards."

Asked for comment on the case Wednesday, a VSB spokesperson provided a statement indicating the lawsuit had been filed on the district's behalf by the provincial Ministry of Finance's B.C. Schools Protection Program. 

"All schools in the district have a responsibility to ensure funds are appropriately allocated to better student learning outcomes," the statement read, in part.

"The district takes these allegations very seriously. As it is currently before the courts, we cannot provide further details about the case."

Kirsten Slenning, the chair of the Britannia Community Elementary School Parent Advisory Council, also responded to the allegations with a statement.

"We are proud of our small, but strong school community," Slenning said. "Many in our student body rely on the school for support in many ways, which makes these allegations all the more troubling. Our school staff work hard to enrich our students' school experience and we are happy to support that as a PAC." 

The court filings indicate the VSB first became aware of Low's alleged misconduct in September 2019, when "a routine budgetary report" found an abnormal deficit of school funds.

The discovery eventually led to a formal investigation, which began in early 2020 and uncovered more of Low's alleged misconduct.

"No explanation has ever been received from the defendant in respect of the abnormal deficit or the wrongful acts," the lawsuit reads.

In addition to the roughly $170,000 it alleges Low stole, the district's claim seeks special damages, punitive and exemplary damages and court costs.