KATV Channel 7 - The Spirit of Arkansas: LRSD Burned by 2nd Chance

A longtime employee of the Little Rock School District who is charged with using a school-issued credit card to steal from the district has been in trouble with the law before.

It sounds like the school district is the victim in this story.

Until you hear the entire story.

Linda Jones was an LRSD employee for 18 years until she took medical leave a year ago and retired last summer. 

During her final six years with the district Jones handled the bookkeeping for the Homeless Education Program.  As such, Jones was trusted with a district-issued credit card to buy school supplies and clothes for families in need.

But an arrest affidavit accuses Jones of buying things that "were not allowable."

For example…a camcorder, digital cameras, anti-virus software, high capacity flash drives, toy items and a large amount of ink cartridges.

The affidavit explains that Jones would return many purchases, getting store credit that "…would be loaded onto a gift card, which Jones would then use to make her personal purchases."

The affidavit concludes: "The LRSD is the victim in this case in the amount of $9,646.59."

"There are going to be improprieties," explains LRSD spokesperson Tiffany Hoffman. "And that's why we have the checks and balances in place to find these improprieties and deal with them appropriately when they occur."

But could this alleged impropriety have been prevented?

In 1995 Linda Jones was a district employee when she was convicted of felony theft of property…the same charge she faces now.

Although the superintendent wanted her fired, the school board voted to keep her.

We visited Jones at her southwest Little Rock home and asked her this question:

"Did you think that because you had a felony theft by deception conviction on your record…did you think it was unusual that they would trust you with a district-issued credit card?"

Jones had plenty to say…but on the advice of her attorney did not want to say anything on the record or on camera.

Hoffman says she is unaware of any other district employees with felony convictions who have been allowed to keep their jobs or who have been issued credit cards by the district.

"The reduction of cards since Dr. Holmes has come to the Little Rock School District has been more than 50 percent," says Hoffman.

Jones' 1995 conviction required her to repay $12,000 in restitution.

16 years later, she still owes more than $12 hundred dollars.

We requested an interview with Dr. Holmes.  We even sent over a list of questions at his request last week.  But we were told he was too busy to sit down with us.

Air date:  February 9^th, 2012