Staunton City School Board chair, sister, under investigation after PTA cash goes missing
STAUNTON — The chair of the Staunton City School Board and her twin sister are under investigation after money reportedly went missing from the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) at A.R. Ware Elementary School.
The Staunton Police Department initiated a probe in February after suspicious financial transactions were reported by the Ware PTA. An affidavit for a search warrant shows that Felecia Neil was the PTA's treasurer. Neil is the sister of Staunton School Board Chair Natasha McCurdy, who recently stated she will not be seeking re-election.
No criminal charges have been filed in connection with the investigation that is alleging embezzlement, grand larceny and obtaining money by false pretenses.
Sister of school board chair tabbed treasurer of PTA
Initially, police said McCurdy had shown interest in the treasurer position for the Ware PTA in June. She was rebuffed because she had no children enrolled at the school, which is located on Grubert Avenue, and was already chair of the Staunton City School Board at the time, police said. McCurdy was seemingly unhappy with the PTA's decision.
"This decision reportedly irritated (McCurdy), which led to her nominating her sister, (Neil), for the position," an investigator wrote in the affidavit. Neil wasn't present for the nomination.
After Neil became treasurer, within months she stopped showing up for PTA meetings, last appearing in September. She was also supposed to produce monthly financial statements, according to police, but only gave verbal reports to the PTA.
In mid-February, PTA members checked the organization's bank account without Neil present and discovered the balance was only $81, police said. "According to (Neil's) latest verbal report, there was supposed to be $10,000 in the account," the affidavit said.
Several financial transactions allegedly were not related to the Ware PTA and "appeared to be for personal benefit," the investigator said.
After checking the bank account and finding discrepancies, PTA members met with Neil on Feb. 22 to discuss the finances, court records show. Neil, who was said to have been defensive during the discussion, quickly deposited $5,048 back into the account. Days earlier, she had withdrawn $2,860 from her own account. On the same day the PTA met with Neil, McCurdy withdrew $2,200 from her personal bank account as well, police said, withdrawals that when added together nearly matched Neil's deposit into the PTA account.
Sisters own downtown toy, gift store in Staunton
Police said the sisters own Queen City Games and Gifts, located in downtown Staunton, and said toys at the business matched toys that were being purchased with PTA money, according to the affidavit. Police said Neil was approved to purchase $2,000 worth of toys for a school event called "Santa Shop" but said she ended up spending far more.
"Ignoring the $2,000 limit, (Neil) ended up exceeding that limit by thousands. The toys purchased for the PTA that were located on the receipts matched some of the toys that were located in the store," the investigator said in the affidavit. Numerous toys that were supposed to go to the PTA were also allegedly found in Neil's possession, police said.
After Neil agreed to a police interview at the Staunton Police Department, she claimed she didn't use PTA funds for her personal benefit, but later she admitted to purchasing printer ink and a soda. However, police said she made numerous personal purchases at Walmart that included energy drinks, dog treats, guinea pig food, various toys, and a clock. Police allegedly found the same clock hanging on a wall inside Neil's home.
Neil consented to a search of her car, which she said contained toys that were slated for the PTA. She also had toys at her Staunton home. Police went to the store that Neil and McCurdy own, where McCurdy claimed they'd forgotten about several boxes of toys that were in the back of the business that were supposed to go to the PTA, the affidavit said. A receipt showed the toys were bought in March 2023, before either Neil or McCurdy had any role in the Ware PTA. Police said Neil claimed she bought them, but McCurdy stated they were removed from the school basement following a flood. The school last flooded in 2019, police said.
The toys were seized and sent to the school.
On Oct. 11, police said Neil wrote a check from the PTA account to her sister for $1,200. That same amount was allegedly deposited into the business account of Queen City Games and Gifts the same day. On Jan. 19, Neil wrote a second PTA check to McCurdy for $1,500, and again the identical amount was reportedly deposited into the store's bank account that same day, according to police.
In a request for a search warrant of Neil's home, police said it's believed the sisters used electronic devices to communicate throughout the investigation, and used various programs and applications to document financial transactions. Authorities seized a cell phone, laptop computer and miscellaneous toys from Neil's residence, court records show.
McCurdy was first elected in 2018 and had been endorsed by The News Leader. "She’s a parent. She’s already active in PTAs. She’s focused on having a voice in building a better educational environment in Staunton, not curtailing it. She is a clear choice," the newspaper's editorial board said.
In 2022, McCurdy was also featured in an article describing her hardscrabble upbringing.
Her terms ends Dec. 31, and she recently indicated she is not running for re-election. McCurdy was reached by text Friday morning, and on Tuesday she issued a statement.
"I am aware of these allegations and have cooperated from the the beginning, and will continue to do so" McCurdy said. "The records will show that I have not done anything wrong. I look forward to being cleared of any wrongdoing. Beyond that I will not comment on an ongoing investigation."
Brad Zinn is the cops, courts and breaking news reporter at The News Leader. Have a news tip? Or something that needs investigating? You can email reporter Brad Zinn (he/him) at bzinn@newsleader.com. You can also follow him on X (formerly Twitter).
This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Staunton City School Board chair, sister, under police investigation
