St. Patrick Interparish School Financial Manager arrested for allegedly embezzling over $45k from school

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Glenda Touchtone Nolan, 57, was arrested yesterday and charged with grand theft after allegedly arranging for her husband and daughter to be employed by St. Patrick Interparish School, overpaying them by about $20k, and purchasing over $25k in items from Amazon for her personal use on the school’s account.

Nolan was the school’s Financial Manager for about 14 years until her termination in 2022; her responsibilities included payroll and managing the school’s checking and credit accounts. She allegedly arranged for her daughter to be employed at the school between August 2021 and March 2022, and she arranged for her husband to be employed at the school between May 2022 and July 2022 [editor’s note: this is probably an error in the arrest report (although it appears twice) and should be July 2023; the school declined to clarify whether the arrest report was correct because it is still an “ongoing investigation”].

The financial irregularities came to light in July 2023 when a safety patrol employee reported to the principal that Nolan had called her into her office and told her she would be getting a $1,500 “stipend” for safety; the employee thought this was “strange.” The principal became curious and looked back through the employee pay stubs, reportedly finding multiple irregularities on the pay stubs for Nolan’s daughter and husband.

During the eight months of Nolan’s daughter’s employment, the principal reported, she should have made $11,830 with her hourly wage, but her pay stubs show unauthorized payments for overtime, bereavement, bonus, professional development, sick time, and vacation time, adding up to $7,792 more than her authorized pay.

The principal reportedly told a Gainesville Police Department officer that Nolan had asked him to hire her husband; he said he thought the request was unusual because her husband was coming from a job with a six-figure salary and would work at the school for “just above minimum wage.” The principal said Nolan told him her husband was very stressed at his previous job. The principal reportedly told GPD that Nolan’s husband should have made $28,521 while employed at the school, but his pay stub also had unauthorized payments for overtime, bonus, other earnings, personal time, stipends, and vacation time, adding up to about $12,000 in unauthorized pay.

The officer wrote that the school believes Nolan offered $1,500 to the other employee “to make it appear that other safety patrol received the same pay” as her daughter.

Nolan and her husband were both fired from the school in late July 2023 [the arrest report says Nolan’s husband was fired in July 2022 but also that they were both fired when the theft was discovered in July 2023, so that date is likely an error]; Nolan’s daughter reportedly resigned in March 2022.

The principal then checked other accounts and found large payments to Amazon; he pulled up the Amazon purchase history and reportedly found many big-ticket items that had been shipped to Nolan’s home between April 2020 and October 2022. The list included two Macbook Pros, an iPad Pro, a gaming monitor, a 43″ Samsung TV, two Nintendo Switches, over $8,000 in gift cards, clothing, furniture, and other household items. The unauthorized purchases came to $25,962.48.

When the principal asked Nolan about the purchases, she reportedly said it was easier to have them delivered to her house and then bring them to the school, but the principal said she never brought the items to the school and that legitimate purchases were routinely delivered to the school.

Nolan has no criminal history; her bail was set at $20,000 by Judge James Colaw on the arrest warrant, with a notation that she has ties to the community.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. 

  • This is very sad. Shame on her for taking advantage of her position. You can bet the next person to take this job will have some sort of checks and balances. Glenda is a fool. Who would hire her now. Buyer beware.

  • I know a few parents whose children attend this school. Both sets of parents work an extra job and continuously hunt for coupons when shopping. It’s difficult for them, but a top education is worth it. This family stole from all of them and then greeted them occasionally at the school or fundraising activities. Simply incredible and for games to play! Not medical bills or an emergency.

    • It is so sad that parents have to work extra jobs and cut coupons to send their children to a private school because Alachua County public schools are no place for kids.

  • I’m shocked to be reading this about Glenda. I will pray for her however, she must face her consequences .

    • since she likes to steal from church , her punishment should be the same as the bums in the bible . Remove this thiefs Hands , she wont steal with them again

  • Bidenomics is driving even good people to commit sinful acts. Just one of many examples all over America today. Sad.

    • what about her makes her a good person ? because she was at church ? was white ? …. The worst, most gullible people fill the seats on sundays .

    • Hey Jeff, what did Trump and his other felonious lawyers ever do for you?

    • The problems with our economy are leftovers from the last administration, NOT “Bidenomics”

  • This thief she be made to pay back all she has stolen and then serve a good amount of time in jail.

  • if you think what she did was bad , You should see what the pastors are doing to altar boys Daily . … Just google – ” florida pastor & boys ” … Absolutely awful what goes on at churches .

  • Those are extreme poverty wages that this school was paying these individuals. Perhaps if they paid a more livable wage then their employees would not have to steal from them to make ends meet.

  • I worked here for 10 years… I am not surprised by this. They employ friends and family and nothing is checked or monitored. When I worked there, I went through their old materials and furniture and sold it to help not only clean, but raise $ for the school. My husband and I spent hours and hours selling textbooks and items on eBay, Craig’slist etc. in my own unpaid spare time. When I left for a new job mid year, I decided I would leave my classroom materials so the teacher wouldn’t start with nothing and agreed to get it at the end of the year. When I came
    back for it in June, this woman told me I had “forfeited” my belongings to them because I didn’t clean out my classroom… when I called the principal to ask why I wasn’t allowed to get my things he said he “didn’t know what she was talking about” and I was eventually able to get my things. I wouldn’t doubt If she made the money I raised disappear 🤦🏼‍♀️. Disgraceful. And I agreed with a previous comment, the diocese pays minimum wage and their teachers get paid below public school wages, but nothing warrants stealing from children and their education. Disgusting.

  • This school has been poorly managed for years. The principal hires some of the least professional and inexperienced people I’ve ever seen. They don’t hold the core values the school projects. This woman has always been a foul and shady character. They started a program years back that was to serve students w disabilities, yet we’re totally ill equipped to serve the population. They just wanted a cash grab, the grant money that comes with a program like they claimed to offer. The school is also filthy and lags behind in curriculum etc.

  • Well, the parents of children who attended this school knew this. It’s about to get complicated.

  • The diocese is corrupt and this person should be prosecuted. The principal should have had better control over this and should be held accountable and fired.

    • However, the Bishop won’t do anything and will probably let Frank Mackritis retire and then the diocese will tell parishioners/staff/employees at St. Patrick’s that they need money and will ask for a second collection. The Diocese of St. Augustine is beyond corrupt and for them not to hold the principal accountable is reprehensible.

  • The school lacks unity in so many levels . The principal has no people’s skills and the school wanted to service children with special needs but couldn’t control nor hire the right people and the qualified teachers left for better opportunities in other fields. Will not recommend this school!

  • I picked up my daughter from St Pat’s last year, she informed me a fellow student was kicked off safety patrol. When I asked her why, she responded ” my school admin said it’s better not to tell” So my eyes were probably 2 inches wide at this point. So after my child refused to tell me why, I was completely floored this school told my child to keep anything secret from their parent. The school would only denied it.
    Earlier that year after paying for and passing the background check and completing their “protecting God’s children class they still denighed me access to my childs classroom and ability to participate and volunteer in the classroom.
    When I asked about information of whom is allowed in my childs classroom. I was told it was personal information and they do not give out personal info. Yet earlier that year my sister n law called to see if I was on the volunteer list. They gladly told her I wasn’t. My sister n law doesn’t have any children nor does she work for or have affiliation with this school. Yet they offered her information about me. I had 2 children at this school and wasn’t allowed to participate or receive info regarding who was allowed with my children. Eff Catholic creepy pedofile schools. Save your children and avoid this place at all cost.

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