St. Charles, MISSOURI

CHARGES DISMISSED

Jan 18, 2007 - Donna DeWeese, 55, a social studies teacher at Francis Howell North High School, was indicted by a grand jury on a felony stealing charge, accused of taking $16,000 from the Class of 2007's prom fund. She was a class sponsor who oversaw such things as the prom.

Administrators at the School noticed a discrepancy in accounts for the 2006 prom. The district began an internal investigation and turned it over to police when they determined it could be a criminal matter.

DeWeese was placed on paid administrative leave Aug. 29. She has been on unpaid leave since she was charged. The grand jury indicted her Nov. 29.
Full name: Donna E. DeWeese
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Case Activity
Disposition Hearing Scheduled for July 25, 2008 at 9:00 am in Division 3 Court Room before Judge Lucy D. Rauch.
Updated June 30, 2008

Court order OCt 12, 2007 that: DEFENDANT'S GAMBLING RECORDS, WILL NOT BE ALLOWED AT TRIAL ABSENT THE STATE TO PROVIDE TO THE COURT A SATISFACTORY CONNECTION BETWEEN THE ALLEGED MONIES MISSING FROM THE PROM FUND AND THE DEFENDANT'S GAMBLING RECORDS

CHARGES DISMISSED July 28, 2008 - St. Charles County prosecutors on Monday dismissed charges against 56-year-old Donna DeWeese. DeWeese agreed to pay the district $4,500 to recover the cost of insurance coverage for the missing funds. (From Education Week)

From St. Louis Post-Dispatch (July 28) . Charles County Prosecutor Jack Banas said this morning that the thefts couldn't be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The school district had one amount for the missing money, St. Peters police another and an accountant hired by DeWeese had yet another number, he said.

Ultimately, Banas said, prosecutors decided to drop the charge after DeWeese paid $4,500 in restitution to the school district's insurance fund.

CHARGES DISMISSED