By Associated Press - Saturday, November 14, 2020

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - An internal audit has found that a former University of Kentucky employee spent $256,000 in school money to pay for 84 iPhones, other tech equipment, travel and additional personal items.

According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, the audit found that former College of Education administrative support worker Stephanie Carpenter used her university procurement card to make the purchases over three years. Other items she bought include 55 MacBooks and 22 iPads, the audit says.

The audit says that in early March, Carpenter told College of Education administrators who asked about inappropriate activity on the card that her computer and relevant files were missing. She was suspended and then resigned on March 17.

Derita Graves, a former member of the college’s Educational Leadership department, additionally accrued nearly $1,000 in unauthorized personal expenditures, and was fired in late July, the audit says.

The audit findings have been turned over to law enforcement.

The university says the College of Education will have a financial management restructuring and there will be a new assistant dean for finance and administration who reports to the provost’s office.

The university says the College of Education had not required pre-approval from a supervisor before procard purchases, as is required in university policy.

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