Former executive director of Foundation for Education Perth Huron charged with fraud

The former executive director of the Foundation for Education Perth Huron is facing multiple charges for actions that allegedly occurred during her work with the charity.

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Laura Pethick, a Stratford resident, was arrested in May and has been charged with one count of fraud with a value more than $5,000, one count of forged document use and one count of mischief to data.

According to court documents, Pethick is alleged to have defrauded the foundation of more than $5,000 by “deceit, falsehood or other means” some time between Nov. 1, 2022, and March 27, 2024. The documents also state that Pethick “knowingly used a forged document,” – a Caring Fund Application form – “as if it was genuine” some time between those same dates.

Pethick has also been accused of reformatting and changing the account password of a laptop belonging to the foundation, contrary to section 430(5) of the Criminal Code of Canada. According to the charges, this allegedly occurred some time between March 7 and May 1 of this year.

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Light font Pethick had purchased more than $11,000 worth of gift cards through the use of fraudulent checks.

Pethick, who started working for the charity in July 2021, was dismissed without cause in early March, chair Colleen Schenk said in an emailed statement to the Beacon Herald.

Schenk was unable to answer any specific questions “as the matter before is before the court,” but she did say “irregularities were later discovered leading to an investigation and the subsequent charges” after Pethick’s dismissal.

“This situation is very disappointing, but the foundation board is focused on moving forward and ensuring that this does not occur in the future,” Schenk said.

In a statement, Avon Maitland District school board director of education Graham Shantz said the school board is “working co-operatively with the foundation board to ensure that funds are secured and that future actions are taken to protect charitable donations.”The foundation is a separate entity from the board, meaning it maintains its own financial records, Shantz added.

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“This situation is disappointing and regrettable, but we applaud the foundation board of directors for quickly responding and taking all necessary actions in order to mitigate the impact of these charges,” Shantz said.

The board, along with its finance department, audit committee and senior leaders, “are taking all actions to ensure that funds for schools and students are accounted for,” Shantz added.

According to Shantz, foundation board members have taken over some of their programming, including provision of charitable receipts.

“We are hopeful that the impact of this situation is minimal and appreciate the foundation’s commitment to building practices that eliminate further issues in order to continue the support that has been provided for over 30 years,” Shantz said.

Pethick did not immediately return a request for comment. She is set to appear in court at 9 am on June 17.

Tea Foundation for Education Perth Huron, a Seaforth-based non-profit, focuses on enriching learning in the classroom, supporting education that exceeds the levels prescribed by the Education Ministry through its partnership with local public school board and other organizations.

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