Former principal Linda McDaniel faces felony embezzlement charges: DA: Interim El Camino High School administrator stole from school due to gambling addiction

She appeared in court Thursday, Aug. 6, after a colleague found she had taken money from the front office, as well as petty cash from the principal’s office, according to San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.

The San Mateo resident claimed she needed the $8,030 taken from a safe in the front office and $1,930 in cash from the principal’s office to cover debts from a gambling addiction, said Wagstaffe.

Wagstaffe did not know the nature of the gambling activity, but said the money was found missing after McDaniel had left a note in the bank box saying she took the cash, with intention to pay it back.

After having not returned the money over an extended period of time, the library technician responsible for accounting the smaller cash box reported McDaniel to an assistant principal, who took the issue to district administration, said Wagstaffe.

McDaniel did repay the school the full amount, prior to her appearance in court, which Wagstaffe said will be reflected in the court’s case against her.

“When I look at something like this, the amount is not overwhelmingly high, she did pay it back and she had led a rather exemplary career,” he said. “This doesn’t call for a prison type of sentence, but we will learn more.”

McDaniel is set for preliminary hearing Wednesday, Aug. 26.

Embezzlement of public funds can only be charged as a felony, according to a report from the office.

Prior to joining the high school district, McDaniel served as principal of Sandpiper Elementary School in Redwood Shores, and later as an administrator at Ralston Middle School in the Belmont-Redwood Shores Elementary School District.

McDaniel was assigned to her post at El Camino High School last year in the wake of former principal David Putney being put on administrative leave, following a wave of allegations he acted inappropriately toward insubordinates at the school.

Following her resignation, Jim Murphy, former principal of Baden Adult School, finished the end of the semester before the South San Francisco Unified School District Board of Trustees approved in May assigning Daniel Lunt to the position for the upcoming school year.

District spokesman Ryan Sebers said the administration could not provide a comment on the case.

Attorney Eric Hove, who is defending McDaniel, could not be reached for comment.

McDaniel faces up to four years in state prison if she is prosecuted to the fullest extent, said Wagstaffe, but her career commitment to educating local children could influence the prosecution’s case.

“She was really, really liked and respected. She felt guilty,” he said. “But a crime is a crime.”

austin@smdailyjournal.com

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