ISD in Texas Fires Employee for Gambling Away $41K, Investigation still Ongoing

Recently, the Fabens Independent School District caught the eye of the internet after it was uncovered that a former employee might have misused the district’s credit card to gamble away $41,000.

The school district located in El Paso, Texas, has made a statement concerning the situation, acknowledging the reports concerning the unauthorized credit card charges.

In that same statement, they also confirm that the perpetrator had been an ex-employee of Fabens. An external audit brought the situation to light.

The ISD has clarified that the matter had been resolved before said audit, as after being internally made aware of the situation, Superintendent Dr. Rogelio Segoviaswiftly took action and fired the unnamed offender.

When the Situation First Came to Light

The auditor shared during a meeting that he had discovered potential unauthorized credit card expenses.

The accusations were first brought forward at a board meeting on January 21 while discussing the school district’s FY 2025 annual financial report. On the topic of the district’s credit card, the auditor had this to say:

“Appears to have been used in an inappropriate and unauthorized manner whereby cash advances appear to have been obtained for personal purposes of an employee who currently does not work at the district.”

Supposedly, the former employee would use the card at a local casino and would receive the credit card statements via email which the auditor alleges they would alter in order to conceal their actions.

Following the situation, the school district has added additional internal controls and safeguards in order to ensure no similar situations occur in the future.

The Investigation Continues

Fabens has stated that they ”will continue to cooperate fully with the appropriate law enforcement authorities” during the ongoing investigation.

Personnel at another educational establishment in Texas have also recently been removed from their positions due to a gambling-related scandal.

A 2025 investigation uncovered that both athletes and staff at the University of Texas had been making illegal bets on college sports using betting apps.

These violations were self-reported by the athletic department, which listed 5 violations dating between July 11 and November 4, 2024.