State asks ex-coach to repay fundraiser money

State auditors are asking an ex-Kankakee Valley High School football coach to repay money missing from a May 20 golf fundraiser.

Derek Thompson will need to repay $8,500, which represents $3,700 in missing funds and nearly $4,800 in audit costs, according to a State Board of Accounts special investigation report from Jan. 1 to June 30, 2018.

He was hired as head football coach on Feb. 12. Kankakee Valley discovered missing funds during their own investigation.

Thompson quit as coach on June 21. The school district contacted the State Board of Accounts to begin a formal financial review on July 5, according to the agency’s report released on Dec. 7.

As coach, he was responsible for collecting sponsorship money for a May 20 golf outing - meant to raise funds for the football team.

The team reached out to local businesses to “sponsor a hole” on the golf course for $150 each, the report states. Payments were made to Kankakee Valley High School and sent to Thompson’s home.

State auditors initially discovered missing funds totaling $2,250. That total included six checks worth $1,050 from the sponsorship money in Thompson’s personal bank account, records state.

Eight additional sponsorships noted as paid were also missing worth $1,200, auditors said.

During the May 20 event, the school’s Athletic Director was responsible for collecting proceeds, the report states. Thompson asked for $1,200 to pay for prizes.

The golf course confirmed no prizes were awarded, auditors said. Instead, it provided a free round of golf to winners. Auditors later found Thompson had deposited $1,100 into his own bank account.

In addition to the $3,450 from the golf outing, $250 from gear pack orders was also missing, auditors found.

Students purchased it for $100 each - which included practice pants, T-shirts, a jersey, shorts, girdle, mouthpiece, kneepads and socks.

According

to

the report, Kankakee Valley has an employee theft insurance policy in 2018 that covers up to $1 million.

Thompson declined to meet with auditors to review its findings, the report states.

Auditors reviewed the report on Nov. 5 with Superintendent Aaron Case, School Board President Edward Habrowski and Chief Financial Officer Carol Deardorff.

It was forwarded to the Indiana Attorney General and local prosecutors, auditors state.