Authorities charged the former vice president of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) at a Texas school and her husband with stealing thousands of dollars from the group’s credit union account.

On Friday, Hutto police arrested Natalie Hudson-Rapp, 40. They took Clinton Rapp, 46, into custody Thursday. Officers charged them with the theft of around $16,000 from the Ray Elementary PTA during the 2016-17 school year. At the time, Hudson-Rapp served as the PTA vice president for the school located in the Hutto Independent School District, an Austin suburb.

The arrest affidavit stated that the Ray Elementary PTA board authorized Hudson-Rapp to pay PTA bills and oversee the group’s day-to-day operations in her capacity as vice president. PTA’s often raise funds for classroom supplies and other school items.

Hudson-Rapp allegedly began writing checks to herself in December 2016, according to the Austin American-Statesman. The PTA board learned about the purported theft sometime later when the A+ Federal Credit Union alerted them about suspicious activity related to returned checks signed by Hudson-Rapp and her husband. The credit union told the PTA board their checking account was depleted. Subsequently, a PTA board member contacted police and said she had copies of more than 31 checks that Hudson-Rapp and Rapp cashed from December 16, 2016, to June 26, 2017, all showing the couple withdrew more than $17,000 at various A+ Federal Credit Unions.

When contacted by police investigators in November 2017, Hudson-Rapp said she bought classroom supplies for the elementary school and reimbursed her husband for these costs. KXAN reported that detectives said she had no proof of any purchases. Additionally, detectives stated that many of the checks had forged signatures of other board members.

Over the weekend, Hutto ISD released a statement, indicating that once discovering the alleged theft, Hudson-Rapp was “immediately removed from her position on the board.”

The district also stated:

PTA organizations are 501(c)(3) non-profits run by volunteers from the schools they represent. The volunteers are generally parents of students in the school. The volunteers are run through the same background check process as all other district volunteers and must be approved as district volunteers. The arrested board member passed the district’s background check and volunteer approval process. Her husband was not a member of the PTA nor a registered volunteer within the district. Local PTA chapters report to the state PTA organization. Hutto ISD staff members are prohibited from serving on PTA boards and are not allowed to touch PTA funds. Although PTA is not run by Hutto ISD, the district recognizes the great value the organization brings to each school. Members of PTA and the many volunteers within each campus chapter pour countless hours and money into the organization to help support the students and staff of the schools. Hutto ISD will do all it can to support the work of the Hutto Police Department as it continues its investigation into the alleged crime against the Ray PTA. Hutto ISD has been in touch with the state PTA for direction on how to help the local Ray chapter as they recover from the theft of funds.

On Monday, Texas PTA Executive Director Kyle Ward told Breitbart Texas, “Texas PTA is shocked and disappointed that anyone would use PTA funds for anything other than our stated purposes and mission. Texas PTA has zero tolerance for questionable financial management, and is currently reviewing the situation at Ray Elementary PTA in Hutto ISD.”

Ward stated, “Texas PTA offers multiple opportunities for volunteers to receive extensive training on best financial practices. While allowing time for the judicial process to address these alleged financial improprieties, Texas PTA will take aggressive steps to support this Local PTA and move forward.”

Jail records show Hudson-Rapp bonded out of the Williamson County Jail on $9,000 bail Saturday. Her husband was released Thursday on a $7,500 bond. Theft is a state jail felony. If convicted, the couple face punishments of up to two years in prison.

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