Former Vancouver school principal stole $170,000 in funds, including gift cards for needy students, lawsuit claims

The ex-principal of a small elementary school in east Vancouver is being sued for allegedly stealing more than $170,000 in funds, some of which was intended to help the families of needy students.

Tricia Low, also known as Tricia Rooney, has been named in a civil suit filed by the Vancouver School Board over alleged thefts of gift cards, district funding and charitable gifts to the school while she was in charge from 2017 to 2020.

Britannia Elementary — which serves about 200 students, roughly half of whom are Indigenous and some from families struggling to make ends meet — operates on a combination of district funding and fundraising efforts.

Low was in charge of making purchases and arranging fundraisers on behalf of the school, and was responsible for making periodic financial reports to the board.

Beginning in late 2017, the lawsuit claims Low began using purchasing cards issued by the board intended for school expenses for personal use.