Jennifer Rivera misused over $50K of her former employer’s funds on vacations, Amazon purchases and Bar Mitzvah filming, officials say.<\/p>\n
Aug 26, 2026 12:59 PM EDT | Updated Aug 26, 2026 2:56 PM EDT<\/p>\n
Update: The Lower Merion School Board issued the following statement:<\/p>\n
“The Lower Merion Board of School Directors announces that Jennifer Rivera has tendered her resignation as a Board Director effective August 25, 2026.<\/p>\n
\n Subscribe<\/a>\n<\/p>\n At a special meeting of the Board on September 14, 2026, at 5:45 p.m., the Board will vote on the acceptance of the resignation. <\/p>\n Additional information about the process to fill the Board vacancy will be shared in a timely manner to comply with the Public School Code.”<\/p>\n LOWER MERION, PA \u2014 A Lower Merion School Board member has resigned from her elected office after authorities say she misused over $50,000 in her former employer’s funds on vacations, Amazon purchases, and videography for a Bar Mitzvah, resulting in felony theft charges<\/a>.<\/p>\n Jennifer Rivera submitted a letter of resignation late Tuesday, a school district spokesperson told Patch. The administrative process to remove her is underway.<\/p>\n “There are steps in a process that need to be followed when a board director tenders a resignation, and the district is following those steps,” said school district spokesperson Amy Buckman. Lower Merion School Board members are formally called school directors.<\/p>\n The remaining School Board members now have 30 days to select someone to step in for Rivera.<\/p>\n The Charges<\/p>\n Rivera was criminally charged after authorities say she misused over $50,000 of her employer’s funds with a company-issued credit card.<\/p>\n Investigators found illicit purchases going back to November 2024, when she worked for SMB \u2014 a law firm marketing agency in Bala Cynwyd.<\/p>\n Rivera turned herself in Monday and posted the $25,000 unsecured bail. As a condition of her pretrial release, she must cease all contact with SMB.<\/p>\n Rivera is not accused of any criminal wrongdoing involving Lower Merion Schools.<\/p>\n SMB began an audit in May, when an executive reviewed an American Express statement that showed a $1,339 Venmo payment to another employee, according to an affidavit.<\/p>\n The employee, who has a personal videography and photography business, told the executive that Rivera paid him to film a Bar Mitzvah for her friend after a same-day cancelation. He said he “immediately knew it was shady,” the affidavit says.<\/p>\n Rivera’s colleague further alleged that Rivera used American Express points to fly him and his wife out to an employee’s wedding that he photographed. After asking Rivera multiple times if it was OK, Rivera claimed the company had extra points so it wasn’t an issue, the affidavit says.<\/p>\n On June 11, SMB put Rivera on administrative leave, pending the results of an audit. Rivera contacted HR a few days later and asked if they could “just fire her as the waiting is adding stress,” the affidavit says.<\/p>\n Auditors found Rivera spent more than $25,000 on a vacation for herself, family members and friends. Flights to the Bahamas worth over $9,000 were booked for August.<\/p>\n Nearly $24,000 in unauthorized Amazon purchases were also discovered.<\/p>\n The thefts were reported to police on June 18.<\/p>\n She was charged Friday with four counts of theft and singular counts of receiving stolen property and access device fraud \u2014 all third-degree felonies.<\/p>\n Rivera has not responded to Patch’s inquiries, and her defense attorney declined to comment on the case.<\/p>\n A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 2.<\/p>\n School Board Vacancy<\/p>\n Last year, Rivera was elected to the Lower Merion School Board on a Democratic ticket with Juanita Kerber, Anna Shurak and Dr. Kerry Sautner, who currently serves as board president.<\/p>\n Her elected term runs through 2029.<\/p>\n