Former PTA president charged with theft

By Amanda Rogers

Mansfield Record

A former president of Roberta Tipps Academy’s PTA has been arrested and charged with theft.

Jennifer Medina, 41, of Mansfield was arrested Friday for theft between $2,500-$30,000. The charge was made after an investigation into missing funds from the Mansfield ISD elementary school’s PTA.

“In late November, the Mansfield ISD Police Department received a complaint about possible missing funds from the Roberta Tipps Elementary School PTA,” the school district said in a statement. “Following a thorough investigation, MISD Police obtained an arrest warrant for Jennifer Medina on a state jail felony charge of Theft of Property $2,500 - $30,000. MISD Police arrested Medina on Friday, Jan. 13.”

According to the Tarrant County District Clerk’s office, Medina had not been arraigned as of Tuesday.

A man who answered the Ring at Medina’s Mansfield home Wednesday said that she had no interest in speaking to the media.

The PTA raises funds through dues and fundraisers and spends the money on events for the school. PTAs are independent of the school district, but fall under the Texas PTA.

Medina had served as treasurer for two years and president for two years of the school’s PTA, according to the new president’s daughter, Aaliyah Macapagal. When Delilah Crosby took office as president in the fall, she became concerned about the PTA’s finances and had difficulty accessing the bank records, Macapagal said.

Crosby then received $14,000 in unpaid invoices for spirit wear from the principal, who had received the email about the debt from the company, Macapagal said.

“If we paid all of the invoices, we would have negative $4,500,” she said. “Companies have agreed that we could make payments.”

The shortage of funds means that the PTA has had to cancel events, like the Halloween carnival, Donuts with Dad and teacher appreciation, Macapagal said. Crosby has gotten donations to help with Parents Night Out and some teacher appreciation, her daughter said.

Macapagal said she thinks insurance will help recover the funds.

Tyler Hernandez, who has two children at Roberta Tipps, was angry when it was announced at the October PTA meeting that funds were missing.

“I was hot,” he said. “Teachers having to pay for their own holiday party because there’s no funds. Every year the school does a fun run with sponsors and vendors. The money goes for the Daddy Daughter dance, fall carnival, outdoor education center, water bottle filling station – all stuff for the kids. Some of these children are on free lunch. That’s it for them.”

Roberta Tipps Academy’s PTA will hold its regular monthly meeting at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 19 at the school, 3001 N. Walnut Creek Drive.

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