'Coach of the Year' Allegedly Stole $10K from Cheer Squad

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This was going to be the year that Farmington High School’s cheer squad had enough money in the treasury to buy new uniforms and mats.

But then Kandice Hernandez, named “coach of the year” after the cheer squad made it to the regionals, allegedly raided the squad’s coffers, stealing nearly $10,000 of the squad’s hard-earned money to pay her rent, buy airline tickets to Florida and pay for “all kinds of things,” Farmington Public Safety Deputy Director Ted Warthman told Hometownlife.com.

Hernandez, 25, appeared in Farmington Hills’ 47th District Court Friday for her pre-trial exam on a felony charge of larceny by conversion. Judge Marla Parker adjourned the proceeding until July 22.

Jennifer Wood, who established a GoFundMe account to help the squad replenish the treasury, wrote that squad members, especially seniors like her daughter, Alexis, were “devastated” when they learned all the money they’d worked hard to earn was gone.

“She didn’t need to take from us, the stuff we worked our butts off all summer for,” Alexis Wood told WDIV-TV.

“We were just looking forward to it so much and getting all of this new spirit wear, but then all of it was taken away from us, which was really disappointing,” junior Sarah Cooper told the TV station.

Hernandez was in charge of the varsity, junior varsity and middle school cheer squads, but isn’t an employee of Farmington Public Schools, a spokesperson told WDIV. She has been removed from the position.

The school began an investigation of Hernandez after a fundraising company hired by the Farmington High Cheer Boosters notified the district’s athletic director that the booster group’s check had bounced.

Hernandez reportedly told Farmington police in June that she had taken the the $9,737 in the account and how she had spent it.

“The kids have been put in an unfortunate situation,” Warthman told Patch.com. “They work hard and expect to generate funds in order to take trips, get into different competitions and have all the the equipment they need in order to compete.

“With what’s happened to them, those things are in jeopardy and might not happen.”

The crowdfunding campaign had reached $865 of its $5,000 goal Monday night.

“FYI,” Jennifer Wood wrote on the GoFundMe page, “the cheer money is all being kept in a school bank account now, to avoid this in the future.”