Teachers indicted in Madison County
Published 3:55 pm Monday, July 6, 2020
- Contributed photo The Hiltons provided educational services to juvenile offenders at the Madison County Juvenile Detention Center.
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Teachers worked at county’s Juvenile Detention Center
An investigation by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office has resulted in the indictments of Catherine “Nikki” Hilton and her husband, Holland “Gene” Hilton.
The Hiltons provided educational services to juvenile offenders at the Madison County Juvenile Detention Center (MCJDC) from August 2017 through November 2018. They were also employed by the Jackson-Madison County School System (JMCSS), which first reported this issue to the Jackson Police Department.
Investigators determined the Hiltons received improper payroll payments of $13,741 by falsifying the time they worked.
Investigators reviewed MCJDC logbooks detailing when the Hiltons entered and exited the facility and compared them with student sign-in sheets prepared by the Hiltons. In some instances, the Hiltons claimed they taught classes when they were not present at MCJDC. On other days, the Hiltons reported teaching full class sessions when they only taught partial classes, thus overreporting the actual time worked.
Comptroller investigators also question an additional $4,584 in compensation received by the Hiltons due to suspicious supporting documentation.
The Hiltons were placed on suspension by the Jackson-Madison County Board of Education effective January 28, 2019.
In June 2020, Catherine and Holland Hilton were indicted by the Madison County grand jury on one count of theft over $10,000.
“Employers and supervisors must always ensure a careful review of time and attendance information when approving time sheets,” said Comptroller Justin P. Wilson. “In this situation, there were three different levels of approval for time sheets, but no one took the extra step of comparing student sign-in sheets with logbook information to verify attendance.”
To view the investigative report, go to: https://comptroller.tn.gov/office-functions/investigations/find.html
If you suspect fraud, waste or abuse of public money in Tennessee, call the Comptroller’s toll-free hotline at 800-232-5454, or file a report online at: tncot.cc/fraud. Follow us on twitter: @TNCOT
