An inquiry approaching $25,000 has been launched in New York surrounding a $25 gift card. The Wall Street Journal and Newsday have disclosed that Maria Dorr, principal of Amagansett School, is facing allegations of appropriating a $25 Amazon gift card from the school’s mailroom in December 2023. The accusations have led to a disciplinary trial featuring 1,400 pages of testimonies, over a dozen witnesses, and surveillance footage from 38 security cameras. The expenses linked to the arbitrator overseeing the proceedings have already surpassed $24,800.
Reports suggest that a parent had procured one gift card for occupational therapist Chrissy McElroy and another for Cassie Butts, the school receptionist. Allegedly, Butts had placed McElroy’s card in her mailbox, only for it to go missing later. Surveillance clips purportedly depict Butts entering the school with a red envelope at 8:24 a.m., exiting empty-handed seven seconds later, followed by Dorr arriving and departing minutes later carrying a stack of papers, including the same red envelope.
Dorr refuted the accusations, asserting that she discovered a different red envelope containing a $50 gift card for a local Shell gas station, assuming it was from a family who had previously gifted her a card. “It’s a school. Things often get misplaced,” Dorr stated during her testimony, alleging that false rumors were being spread about her.
Dorr allegedly unearthed the red envelope containing the gas station card in a recycling bin at her residence and presented it to the interim superintendent, Richard Loeschner. However, Loeschner dismissed the finding as the envelope lacked a signature. McElroy initially reported the missing card to local authorities but later requested the case to be closed.
Following the alleged incident, Dorr was placed on administrative leave in January 2024, facing administrative charges of misconduct under a disciplinary procedure known as 3020-a. Dorr’s attorney, Arthur Scheuermann, speculated that the event might have been orchestrated to undermine Dorr’s candidacy for the superintendent position.
Although Butts retired in February, she had previously lodged complaints against the then-superintendent back in 2019. The superintendent position was eventually filled by gym teacher and volunteer firefighter Mike Rodgers in May 2024.
An arbitrator was expected to deliver a verdict on the matter in February, though as of now, no ruling has been issued. PEOPLE has contacted Dorr’s legal representation for their input. For more updates on crime news, sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking developments, ongoing trial updates, and captivating unsolved cases.
