A former Long Island PTA bigwig allegedly stole more than $10,000 in funds from the association’s coffers to finance her own personal shopping sprees, authorities said.
Hope Livingston, 50, allegedly snatched the funds from the Sag Harbor Elementary School PTA to make purchases at Costco, Amazon, Target, Lululemon, various local Sag Harbor business and even withdrew sums of cash directly from the PTA bank account, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office.
She was arrested Tuesday and arraigned on third-degree grand larceny charges, authorities said.
“Parent Teacher Associations are one of the cornerstones of school communities across Long Island,” Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney said in a statement.
“The allegations in this case represent an egregious betrayal of the trust the residents of Sag Harbor placed in this defendant, and my office will continue to hold accountable those individuals who unlawfully enrich themselves at the public’s expense.”
Livingston served as the Sag Harbor PTA’s co-treasurer from July 2021 to June 2022 and was bumped up to vice president in July 2022, a role she remained in until June 2024, according to authorities.
When the PTA transitioned to new board members in September 2024, they began review the organization’s finances. When they gained access to the bank account, they discovered Livingston had “unlawfully” used more than $10,000 association funds through a debit card she had access to for her own personal expenses, prosecutors said.
Riverhead Town Justice Sean Walter ordered Livingston to be released without bail since her charges are not a bail eligible offense, prosecutors said.
She is slated to return to court on March 7.