The president of a Queens elementary school Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) is accused of stealing $40,000 from the school, allegedly using the money for personal expenses on Amazon, Uber Eats, and more. According to reports from the New York Post, Athena Gonzalez, who served as the PTA president at PS 166 in Astoria, has come under fire after other PTA members discovered suspicious financial activity.
The scandal came to light last month when the PTA’s secretary noticed fraudulent transactions and a significant amount of missing funds. Alarmed by the irregularities, the PTA held an emergency meeting on September 27 to address the issue. During the meeting, the secretary presented a $10,000 check that had been issued without proper explanation, prompting concern and confusion among the members.
According to those present, the check was left unexplained, and no one immediately took responsibility. However, upon further investigation, another check was found written out to Gonzalez herself. As members of the PTA started piecing together a paper trail, they discovered that the majority of the questionable charges led back to Gonzalez.
The transactions included a variety of purchases made over the summer, with Gonzalez allegedly racking up charges on the PTA credit card for personal expenses. These included payments to her veterinarian, online shopping on Amazon, and orders from Uber Eats. PTA members also noted that Gonzalez had been posting on social media about taking vacations and acquiring a new vehicle around the same time the funds went missing.
The PTA told police unauthorized transactions were made on the group’s business account from Dec. 11 2023 to Sept. 23 of this year, an NYPD spokesperson said. No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.
“We stand by our current PTA members and understand this horrible situation was the actions of one person,” PS 166 Principal Jessica Geller told attendees at the October meeting, according to the minutes.
Gonzalez had been elected PTA president in June 2023, but by the time the financial discrepancies were discovered in September 2024, the organization’s balance had dwindled dramatically. At the start of the summer, the PTA account reportedly held $64,817, but by the time the members became aware of the missing funds, only $12,564 remained.
The situation has shocked the school community, as the stolen money was intended to support various programs and activities for the students. These included events like pasta nights and extracurricular activities such as chess, yoga, and ballroom dancing. The financial loss means that many of these programs may now be in jeopardy.
In response to the scandal, PS 166’s principal, Jessica Geller, addressed the school community, expressing support for the remaining PTA members. “We stand by our current PTA members and understand this horrible situation was the actions of one person,” Geller said at an October PTA meeting.
The fallout from the scandal has led to further resignations within the PTA. Claudia Henriquez, the group’s treasurer, also stepped down following the revelation of the missing funds.
Although no arrests have been made at this time, the New York Police Department is actively investigating the situation. Parents and community members are awaiting further updates as the investigation continues, hoping for accountability and resolution in the case.