Long Island PTA Vice President Pleads Guilty to $14K Theft for Luxury Shopping

Hope Livingston, a 50-year-old former vice president and occasional treasurer of the Sag Harbor Elementary School Parent Teacher Association, entered a guilty plea to grand larceny for siphoning more than $14,000 from the group’s funds between July 2021 and June 2024. Using a debit card intended solely for PTA expenses, she made numerous purchases at Lululemon, Amazon, Target, Costco and withdrew cash on several occasions.

The misconduct came to light after a newly appointed board assumed control of the PTA’s bank account in September 2024 and discovered the irregularities. Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney said Livingston will be ordered to pay $14,500 in restitution and is expected to receive a sentence of five years’ probation. She was arrested in March and is scheduled to appear in court again on Oct. 6. The case underscores the district attorney’s zero-tolerance stance on corruption involving school organizations.