School board president: Tekonsha principal had a clean police record when she was hired

Corrections & clarifications: An earlier version of this story was incorrect due to information provided by a court administrator.Tekonsha Elementary School Principal Jennifer McGuff has not served the 90-day jail sentence she received in May 2017.

Tekonsha Elementary School Principal Jennifer McGuff had a clean police record when she was hired by the school district in August 2016, board President Daryl Blashfield said Thursday.

Less than a year later, she wouldn't.

"We hired her in August and the charges came out in November," Blashfield said.

But he declined to say why she retained her job after pleading guilty to defrauding another school district.

The district approved $8,800 on Saturday to investigate McGuff and Superintendent Jeffrey Kawaski for possible misconduct.

Blashfield would not elaborate on the allegations against the two administrators, but said Tuesday that police are not involved in the investigation.

Kawaski referred media inquiries to Blashfield. McGuff could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Tekonsha schools hired McGuff in August 2016, the month she resigned from her previous job as a special education consultant for the Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District.

Blashfield said the district conducted background and criminal history checks on McGuff before she was hired. District employees agree to a criminal background check before they are hired.

"I know we did that for her," he said. "We did our due diligence to make sure there wasn't a criminal record at that time."

According to Grand Traverse County court records, McGuff was arrested on Nov. 18, 2016 by the Traverse City Police Department and arraigned on two felony charges on Jan. 3, 2017, stemming from McGuff's work with the Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District.

Blashfield said the district found out about the charges in November 2016.

McGuff had allegedly filed false travel expenses, failed to return school materials and overcharged her employer for a tuition payment, according to the Traverse City Record-Eagle.

Prosecutors dismissed the original felony charges of false pretenses between $1,000 and $20,000 and larceny by conversion between $1,000 and $20,000, and McGuff pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of false pretenses between $200 and $1,000 in April of that year.

She was sentenced a month later to 90 days in jail and 730 days probation, according to the prosecutor's office.

McGuff also was ordered to pay $8,484 in restitution costs, a $100 fine, $800 in court costs, $75 for crime victims and $50 for the justice system.

Kawaski placed McGuff on paid non-disciplinary administrative leave in April for alleged workplace misconduct, Blashfield said Tuesday.

Board members decided to launch the investigation after a community member accused Kawaski of misconduct at this month's board meeting, he said.

Contact Battle Creek Enquirer reporter Noe Hernandez at 269-966-0684 or nhernandez@battlecreekenquirer.com.