Former IB Charter School PTA President Arrested

Former IB Charter School PTA president Kaitlyn Birchman was arrested on Jan. 2 at her home in Temecula and arraigned on Jan. 10. She has been charged with embezzlement of $400 or more, grand theft and writing fictitious checks.

The Sheriff’s Department Financial Crimes Unit (FCU) had been investigating the missing funds of $14,802 Birchman has allegedly stolen for almost a year. Although the current PTA puts the missing amount at $40,000, the Sheriff’s Department FCU Sgt. Karl Miller says only the $14,000 can be proven is actually missing. “Proof guides the investigation, not emotions,” said Miller about the discrepancy of the funds.

Last January 2018, the PTA board discovered Birchman’s mishandling of funds and in March the issue was brought up during a board meeting. After a heated discussion, a motion was made to remove Birchman from the board. Miller and other officers attended the March meeting and said that the board found out Birchman had closed the bank account and was writing checks from that account. When one of the vendors who received a fraudulent check complained, the embezzlement was discovered. 

“The board was surprised and shocked. There was no bank account,” said current PTA president Amber Vissuet. “A lot of checks throughout the year couldn’t be deposited because there was no bank account.”

“The school district was not paid over $5,000 so all the field trips were cancelled,” said current Treasurer Elizabeth McKay.

After the embezzlement was discovered McKay said some parents told her during a membership drive they had heard what happened and did not want to join the PTA.

“We’re taking it seriously and we are 100 percent transparent and accountable,” she said about going forward.  

“Due to lack of accountability she [Birchman] was put into the position… it went from three people authorizing withdrawals to one,” said Miller. “If you look at the investigation as a whole, the PTA had the right policies but did not implement them.”

Birchman is currently out on a $25,000 bond and a court date has not been set. The District Attorney is looking at the investigation to see what can be proven without reasonable doubt, explained Miller.