Broward catholic school principal avoids jail time during sentencing of stealing over $200,000 from the school
CBS News Miami was exclusively inside a Fort Lauderdale courtroom on Wednesday afternoon as a former principal from a Broward County Catholic school was sentenced after stealing more than $200,000 from the school.
Lori St. Thomas, 62, was sentenced to 10 years' probation and ordered to pay $121,548 in restitution to St. Coleman Catholic School in Pompano Beach.
Circuit Court Judge Tim Bailey said St. Thomas was not a danger to the community and "not likely to reoffend." He stated that the criteria were satisfied, and that "the need for restitution outweighed the need for incarceration."
The state had sought a sentence of five years in prison followed by 20 years' probation.
St. Thomas and her family members declined to comment after the judge's decision. Her attorney, Tonja Haddad Coleman, said she could not comment on camera but told CBS News Miami that she was happy with the decision and still planned to appeal the jury's guilty verdict.
BSO arrested St. Thomas last October, charged with stealing the money in nine years
St. Thomas was arrested last October after the Broward Sheriff's Office charged her with stealing more than $238,000 in unauthorized extra pay over nine years between 2016 and 2024. Administrators discovered the theft after she was fired in October 2024, pulling up payroll records that listed the pay as supplemental and showed she signed for it.
The defense had claimed the funds were approved for one-time raises and reimbursement for extra hours worked. Her attorney also claimed the action was retaliation after St. Thomas became a whistleblower and reported alleged sexual misconduct at the school. St. Thomas had no criminal history, the attorney added.
In court on Wednesday, psychologist Michael Brannon testified that St. Thomas was the victim of "chronic abuse as a child" and suffered from PTSD, needing weekly trauma care and specialized treatment. Brannon testified that treatment could be more effective if she were not in prison.
St. Thomas's daughter, Julie St. Thomas, testified that her mother was "one of the most caring persons." She added, "She raised my brothers and me and would always help people. She would give you the shirt off her back if she could. She was always the person who told us to be kind to everyone." Her testimony moved St. Thomas to tears.
Her son, Jonathan St. Thomas, testified that she was a devoted grandmother.
Her husband, Jack St. Thomas, testified that they had been married for 39 years and that she helped him through his three bouts with cancer. He said, "Without her, I would not have been here." He added that he was aware of her trauma from child abuse and that she suffered from PTSD.
A prosecutor said St. Thomas caused damage to the school but declined to comment further after the hearing.
Jim Riggins, secretary of education and superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Archdiocese of Miami, said the money taken from the school was supposed to go for "the education of children."
Riggins noted that while St. Thomas was accused of taking more than $238,000 from the school; a statute