A Metairie woman who once worked at Crescent City Christian School was arrested last week, accused of quietly diverting more than $87,000 in tuition payments that families believed were going toward their children’s education. Investigators say the alleged scheme stretched over several years and left nearly two dozen households scrambling to sort out unexpected bills. Authorities booked the former employee into the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center on March 24 as the investigation continued.
Allegations and investigation
According to investigators, the employee took cash payments from families between 2020 and 2023, then failed to deposit the money as required. Instead, she allegedly entered false information into the school’s payment system so the accounts would look paid up on paper. In one instance, authorities say a parent handed over more than $12,000 in cash, only for the envelope to later be discovered empty in the employee’s desk. Officials put the total loss at more than $87,000 and say at least 19 families were affected, with individual amounts ranging from a few hundred dollars to more than $24,000, as reported by WWL‑TV.
School background and local footprint
Crescent City Christian School operates as part of the Celebration Church school system and lists its Metairie campus at 4828 Utica Street, serving students from pre‑K through grade 12. The school’s publicly available materials outline policies in family handbooks and provide contact details for registration and billing offices, according to Crescent City Christian School.
Charges and arrest details
Investigators identified the former employee as Maryfrancis Johnson, who resigned from the school in August 2023 and now faces felony counts that include theft over $25,000 and computer fraud. Authorities say Johnson told them she made accounting mistakes because she "panicked." She was arrested and booked into the Jefferson Parish jail on March 24. Bond status had not been released at the time of reporting, according to WWL‑TV.
What comes next
Investigators are still reviewing multiple years of financial records as affected families wait to find out whether they will be made whole. The case remains active, and prosecutors may file additional paperwork or set court dates in the coming weeks. No further information on bond or upcoming court appearances was available at the time of reporting.
