The “Regional Teacher of the Year” from Willowcreek Elementary School recently pleaded guilty to stealing mushrooms from an Ontario grocery store, according to court records.
An English teacher at Willowcreek Elementary School in Vale, Kim Worley, admitted to stealing more than $150 worth of white mushrooms from Waremart in Ontario from January to May. The report noted three incidents in January, March and early May. Each time, it appeared that Worley had stolen mushrooms from the store, according to the report.
The police report noted that loss prevention employees with Waremart provided the Ontario Police Department with video footage and receipts showing Worley filling up smaller produce bags and larger bulk bags of mushrooms. The documents note that she would then go through the self-checkout line and only pay for the smaller bags of mushrooms, but not the larger bulk bags.
In early May, the report noted that an Ontario police officer responded to another theft of mushrooms by Worley at Waremart. The officer responding to the call trespassed Worley from the store instead of citing her for theft since another officer who was not on duty that day was working on the case, the documents note.
The Malheur County Sheriff’s Office cited Worley at her home on May 12, according to court documents. The officer wrote in the report that law enforcement officials intentionally did not present Worley with the citation at Willowcreek Elementary School. This was months before the Vale School District announced that Worley had been named Regional Teacher of the Year.
Worley declined to comment on the case but said the charge would be dropped.
Malheur County District Attorney Dave Goldthorpe said what Worley described as a dismissal of the charge is the potential for a diverted sentence. Legally, he said it is called “probation without an entry of judgement of guilt.”
“If she does everything she is required to do, the case will be dismissed,” Goldthorpe said. “If she doesn’t, the conviction would be entered. It is only available to persons without a criminal history.”
Worley, 44, was placed on bench probation for 18 months and ordered to pay Waremart a restitution of $156.55 and a $100 fine, according to court records. The court also ordered Worley to perform 80 hours of community service, which she completed through nonprofits in Boardman, Utah and western Washington, according to the documents. Worley was also ordered to take an e-course on theft, which, according to court records, she has completed. Among her probation requirements is not to enter any Waremart stores or have any direct or indirect contact with them.
Alisha McBride, Vale School District superintendent, who supported Worley’s nomination as Regional Teacher of the Year with a letter of recommendation, declined to comment. McBride cited district confidentiality requirements. Among the questions McBride declined to answer was whether the district had been aware Worley had been cited for theft before announcing she had been selected as Malheur’s Teacher of the Year.
“Vale School District does not comment on individual employee matters,” she said.
After she was cited for theft in May, the Vale School District announced in September that Worley was one of 18 educators in Oregon picked for the regional teacher honor.
Worley was awarded $1,000 by the Oregon Lottery after staff, teachers, family and friends nominated her.
Once nominated, the teachers submit essays and letters of support from their district.
Worley was also put in the running for the state’s Teacher of the Year. A middle school educator in Portland was selected as Oregon’s Teacher of the Year last month, according to a press release from the Oregon Department of Education.
News tip? Send your information to Steven Mitchell at [email protected].
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