Former Atlantic High School athletic director arrested following investigation
Palm Beach County School District employee Andrea Smith-Thomas was arrested Monday morning on charges of grand theft, official misconduct and organized scheme to defraud valued less than $20,000 during her time as athletic director at Atlantic High School.
A PBCSD investigation alleges that Smith-Thomas, 56, of Delray Beach, stole $4,609.80 from Atlantic High School between March 5, 2019 and March 16, 2020.
She was released later Monday after posting $9,000 bond – $3,000 for each charge.
In a statement, the Palm Beach County School District said, "Ms. Smith-Thomas will be reassigned to a non-student contact position pending the outcome of the criminal case against her and the District's internal investigation."
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Smith-Thomas was released from her duties as Atlantic's athletic director and head girls track coach at the conclusion of the 2021-22 school year and has been working at Village Academy.
According to the arrest report, data entries from the PBCSD payroll system, People Soft, revealed that Smith-Thomas received additional stipends for coaching boys weightlifting and girls lacrosse, which former faculty and coaches stated Smith-Thomas "never" served - even as an assistant.
As head girls track coach, Smith-Thomas received stipends of $3,439.00 on May 14, 2019 and $3,611.00 on May 11, 2020.
On March 5, 2019, listed as a "female sports coach" for varsity winter sports, Smith-Thomas received $1,417 for "Boys Weightlifting." The same paystub reflected that Smith-Thomas received another coaching supplement for "Girls Lacrosse" valued at $603, described as a "female sports coach" for junior varsity winter sports.
A paystub from March 16, 2020 showed that Smith-Thomas received $1,487 as a varsity coach for boys weightlifting and a $1,102.80 stipend for JV girls lacrosse.
In total, Smith-Thomas earned $11,659.80 solely from athletic stipends between 2019 and 2020. Smith-Thomas was only authorized to receive $7,050.
Other Atlantic coaches were cited in the arrest report with having no knowledge of Smith-Thomas coaching those other sports. Lacca Bromell, a three-decade boys weightlifting and wrestling coach at the school, stated Smith-Thomas "was not an assistant coach."
Former girls lacrosse coaches Courtney Cohen and Nicholas Los stated they "never" had an assistant during their tenures.
Cohen added she didn't receive her stipend for the 2019 fiscal year prior to Los taking over the program in 2020.
Smith-Thomas' responsibilities as athletic director included, but weren't limited to, informing the person in charge of payroll which staff members would be coaching sports and ensuring that they received their supplements accordingly.
Then-administrative assistant Anna Bell was directed by Smith-Thomas to enter coaching supplements into the payroll system, People Soft, on behalf of former Atlantic High principal Tara Dellegrotti.
Dellegrotti, who served Atlantic from 2015 to 2021, said in a sworn statement on April 8, 2022 that she was "not aware" Smith-Thomas received a supplement for being a lacrosse or weightlifting coach.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Former Atlantic High athletic director: Arrest made in investigation
