The case of a missing Amazon gift voucher of $ 25 at the school of an Elite Hampton has become a whodunnit with the director in the middle of all this.
Maria Dorr, an old director at the Amagansett Elementary School, is accused of stealing another Christmas gift for colleagues and has since been suspended.
Dorr fiercely denied the allegations, but was removed from the district, known in the New York State Education Law as a 3020a-inquiry for things involving permanent teachers, and was placed on paid administrative leave in January 2024.
She told the East Hampton star months after the test that she was 'in shock', that security and teachers watched camera images and 'saw me with a red card'.
The bizarre case led to a disciplinary process of 1,400 pages witnesses of more than a dozen witnesses to identify the card hairdresser, and a arbitrator whose costs have been built up to more than $ 25,000 – 1,000 times the value of the missing card, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The test had become so absurd that the gifts asked the local police to stop investigating.
Arthur Scheuermann, the lawyer who represents director Dorr, told DailyMail.com on Friday that they 'waiting for a decision' and it would be 'imminally', but was unable to provide more details about the case.
The Amagansett Union Free School in Main Street is located in the city of East Hampton and is the largest employer in the Hamlet with a budget of $ 11 million.
The school starts at Prekindergarten until the sixth grade and has 110 students in the enclave where house prices have an average of around $ 3 million.
Maria Dorr, is the director of the Amagansett Elementary School, which was accused of stealing an Amazon card of $ 25 and was placed in January 2024 with paid administrative leave
The Amagansett Elementary School is located on Main Street
The incident took place for the first time on December 15, 2023 days before the school would break for the winter recess and the Christmas holidays.
One of the parents handed long -term school receptionist, Cassie Butts two red envelopes with gift vouchers. One was given to butts, and the other to the therapist of the school, Chrissy Mcelroy.
Butts claimed during the testimony that she placed the Mcelroy map in her mailbox. Later that day when Mcelroy had to check her mailbox, there was no red envelope in sight.
When Butts told the director about the missing envelope, Butt said in her testimony that she was told by Dorr to remain silent, to prevent the police or any lawyers from becoming involved, according to the Wsj.
Only in December 19, 2023 – four days after the gifts were received – when Dorr first heard about the allegations against her by school -operated Sandra Nuzzi, who testified during the November 2024 trial.
Dorr asked for a public test.
Steven Goodstadt, a lawyer who represents the school district, presented time stamp camera images that showed the outside of the mailroom.
At 8.24.17 am Butts sees the mail room with a red envelope and leaves her hands with her hands empty seven seconds later.
Dorr appears at 8:37 am and leaves with a pile of papers, including a red envelope.
“It is clear that Maria Dorr hoped that this would die because she knew her sticky fingers would have been caught,” Goodstadt said partially.
As part of the evidence, he also showed a photo of the Cubbies in the mail room in the school.
During the testimony, she Furthermore, to take the envelope when she was asked by a second school officer.
On Tuesday, Richard Loeschner, the interim -superintendent of Amagansett, assessed the video images and started talking to teachers.
During his testimony, he claimed that he “did the investigation” and said, “There is no other explanation where that gift voucher went.”
In her defense, Dorr said she received a $ 50 gift voucher from a local gas station that was placed in a red envelope in her mailbox. She believed that the recipient was the same family who had given her the same gift months earlier.
When butts told her that a map was missing, Dorr believed that the card would appear and her colleague advised not to make the alarms sound.
She testified: 'It's a school. Things are missing all the time. '
When Lochner Dorr said that many of the teachers did not trust her, Dorr felt she was the target.
Dorr believed that butts spread over her. When she found the red envelope that contained the gas station card Her recycling trash can at home, she presented it to Lochner, but he fired itIt spent it because the envelope was not signed.
He was then put under pressure to resign.
In the testimony, the lawyer of Dorr Butts mentioned 'a known liar' and speculated that the missing gift voucher was an arrangement to kill Dorr's candidacy for superintendent, the magazine reported.
“Cassie tends to beautify things or not to tell the truth on many occasions,” a school district officer testified in the gift voucher.
Butts retired last February, but was advised in 2019 for exaggerated claims against the super -intendent at the time, according to the news output.
Mike Rodgers, a sports teacher and voluntary firefighter, became the new superintendent instead of Dorr.
DORR has been acting director since 2015 and has received exemplary reviews.
A former superintendent partially said that Dorr is a role model for the highest ethical standards in her work and interactions with others. “
Under the leadership of Rodgers, many residents and teachers have since reported a 'poisonous' environment at the school.
Lawyer Steven Goodstad did not respond to DailyMail.com -Request for comments.
