HASTINGS, Minn — Hastings High School Assistant Principal and Head Wrestling Coach Joshua McLay is facing charges of embezzling nearly $14,000 in school funds.
According to the criminal complaint, back in September of 2011, McLay asked the school district's accounting supervisor if he could pay for his coaching staff to travel to Lincoln, Nebraska for a coaching clinic. He wanted to pay for travel, lodging and treating the staff to a football game. The supervisor told him he could pay for travel and lodging but not for entertainment.
The complaint alleges that McLay used school funds to buy college football game tickets for multiple people who were attending a "wrestling coaches clinic" in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2018. He also paid for things like car rentals, hotel rooms, gas, food and other expenses for multiple people on "wrestling coaches clinic" trips each year from 2011 to 2018, the complaint says. McLay either paid those expenses with a district credit card, or paid and was reimbursed later, according to the charges.
According to the complaint, the investigation revealed that there were no coaches clinics on any of those trips.
McLay was the head wrestling coach at the time of all of the allegations. He has been assistant principal since July 1, 2016.
He is charged with eight counts of embezzlement of public funds, and eight counts of theft by swindle. The complaint states that the thefts totaled $13,900.
McLay is expected to appear in court in Hastings on April 8 at 9 a.m.
