Cara Fitzpatrick
With the revelation this week that Suncoast High’s band director ran up a six-figure deficit on two international band trips and took at least six family members to Paris on the district’s dime, a harsh spotlight has been cast again on then-Principal Gloria Crutchfield.
Crutchfield, now a district director, drew fire during her short tenure at the Riviera Beach magnet school for what critics said was a dictatorial attitude and her frequent trips to training seminars in California, Nevada, the Bahamas and Canada.
Now, a special audit of the Suncoast band program has found that Crutchfield approved the requests of long-time band director Ernest Brown to take students to London in 2007 and Paris in 2008 – and, in both years, raided dozens of other school accounts to cover the excess costs when Brown failed to raise enough money.
The total bill for both field trips was $546,981. The total deficit was $107,895.
She also went to Paris with school money.
But it’s Brown, not Crutchfield, who faces disciplinary action.
Brown referred questions to his attorney, whom he hasn’t named. Crutchfield hasn’t returned calls for comment.
Superintendent Art Johnson recommended earlier this week that Brown be suspended without pay for seven days. District officials said it wouldn’t be “prudent” to discuss the reasons for the proposed punishment. On Wednesday, Johnson pulled the recommendation from board consideration after the office of State Attorney Michael McAuliffe said it planned to look into the case .
District officials also haven’t said why Crutchfield isn’t facing disciplinary action.
Crutchfield used the school’s advanced placement money to accompany students on the Paris trip, justifying the expense by visiting two International Baccalaureate schools while she was away, auditors found.
Students, many of whom couldn’t afford to go, had to pay $2,650 each for the Paris trip.
For the Paris trip, auditors found that Brown took his wife, son, two daughters, niece and nephew on the trip for “free or at little cost” by using nearly $15,000 in district money.
About half of the band’s students were able to go on the trip. Nearly as many adults as students attended. Many of the adults were “non-school related” people that school officials haven’t named.
The Palm Beach Post reported in 2007 that Crutchfield and school staff members traveled at least 81 times during Crutchfield’s first 20 months as principal, wracking up about $70,000 in fees, airfare, car rentals, hotel rooms, food, tips and entertainment.
The trips, which were paid for by the district, were for training, but caused a backlash among some parents.
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