Blackman High Booster Club Accused of Wrongdoing-Coffee Co. Director of Schools answers local Questions

A Rutherford County high school booster club paid out almost $100,000 in gift cards and cash over a four-year period in numerous unauthorized transactions, according to an investigation by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office. John Dunn, spokesman for the office, described what investigators found, which has since been turned over to the county district attorney to determine if any laws were broken. “What we found,” Dunn said, “was that the Blackman High School Football Booster Club basically opened a second account for the purposes of paying their coaches pretty much on the side in a way to circumvent a policy that required them to make those payments through the central office.” In a statement, the Rutherford County School District said Blackman High School’s principal reported “questionable accounting issues related to the football booster club program” shortly after she became principal of the school in 2014. The school district notified the state comptroller of the allegations immediately and has complied fully with the state’s investigation. Dunn said booster club leaders say they were acting under the direction of the school’s athletic department. “Booster Club officials really told us that that action was directed by their former head football coach, who resigned in March of last year,” Dunn said. “Booster Club officials told us the coach was actually telling them who to write checks to and then to provide that cash to those folks.” The Comptroller’s Office doesn’t investigate booster clubs unless there is an allegation of fraud, Dunn said, adding that his office has been investigating such complaints with more regularity in recent years. Details of the investigation are online at comptroller.tn.gov/ia.
According to officials no charges will be filed.
Dr Ladonna McFall Director of Schools emailed Thunder Radio a copy of the rules for clubs operating in the system and states that only a group or organization that has entered into a written cooperative agreement with the Board may use the name, mascot or logo of a school or the school district to solicit or raise the money, materials, property, securities, services, or other things of value. The school support organization’s officers shall ensure that school support organization funds are safeguarded and are spent only for purposes related to the stated goals and objectives of the organization.