A former math and business teacher was busted for allegedly stealing nearly $800,000 from a Westchester teacher’s union, where he was treasurer for more than seven years.
Prosecutors said Frank Gluberman, an assistant principal at Woodlands High School in Hartsdale, stole from the Greenburgh Teacher’s Federation, and raided the taxpayer-financed Greenburgh Teacher’s Welfare Fund, which pays for dental, optical, legal and other services for school teachers and administrators in the district.
Gluberman allegedly wrote checks to himself from both accounts and forged the union president’s signature, which he needed in order to release the payments. He is accused of stealing more than $778,995.
Prosecutors say the checks were made out to Gluberman and to his two daughters. Gluberman also allegedly used the union money to pay property taxes on two homes he owns.
Authorities discovered the theft when Gluberman, 66, was promoted to assistant principal and had to give up his position as treasurer of the union funds.
He was arrested Tuesday.
The union has about 360 members, including teachers, teaching assistants and some administrators.
“This defendant used and abused his position as a trusted educator and administrator to both defraud the taxpayers of the Town of Greenburgh and steal from his colleagues and associates,” said Westchester DA Janet DiFiore.
“His cynical raiding of the welfare fund of hundreds of thousands of dollars comes at a time of tight school budgets and dishonors the teachers and administrators who work diligently and professionally on a daily basis in the Greenburgh school system.”
A school newspaper profile of Gluberman in 2012 said he taught math in New York City before teaching business in Greenburgh.
If convicted, Gluberman faces maximum sentence of 15 years in jail.
School board President Lloyd Newland announced Wednesday that Gluberman will be placed on paid administrative leave pending a review of the allegations.
Gluberman made more than $125,000 from the district last year, according to public records.