Fairfax County police say the former principal of Hayfield Secondary School turned himself in on a felony embezzlement charge, accused of using nearly $8,000 in school funds for personal travel and attendance at events unrelated to his job. Darin Thompson, 51, of Lorton, surrendered at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center and was released on a $3,000 unsecured bond. He had already been placed on administrative leave once the allegations surfaced, and he has now been suspended following his arrest.
According to the Fairfax County Police Department, detectives opened their investigation on April 21, 2026, after the FCPS Office of Auditor General referred concerns about an employee's alleged fraudulent use of school-issued payment cards. Police allege Thompson used the funds for non-work-related travel and event attendance, though the department has not detailed the specific transactions, dates, or destinations involved. Fairfax County police ultimately obtained a warrant for his arrest, which led to Thompson's surrender this week.
Thompson has been employed by Fairfax County Public Schools since July 2023, the department said. As reported by FOX 5 DC, Thompson left Hayfield in August 2025 and accepted a position as senior administrator of nontraditional school programs, a role that became effective September 15, 2025. Specific personnel actions taken against him beyond administrative leave and suspension have been withheld under employee confidentiality laws, the outlet noted.
School District Responds to Allegations
FCPS said it takes allegations of criminal misconduct by employees “very seriously” and is working with law enforcement, according to WJLA.
Thompson's case is not the first time Hayfield's finances have drawn scrutiny from investigators. Earlier this year, a separate Fairfax County Public Schools finance technician, Stephanie Gale, was charged with embezzling more than $40,000 from Hayfield Secondary School, facing felony embezzlement and computer fraud charges, according to FOX 5 DC. Gale, who had worked at the school since 2021, turned herself in at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center on June 1 and was likewise released on an unsecured bond; FCPS suspended her from her position following her arrest.
A School Already Under the Microscope
Hayfield has also faced a separate reckoning this year over its football program. An external investigation found that Hayfield Secondary School and Fairfax High School violated Virginia High School League rules involving student-athlete transfers and eligibility, according to WTOP. That inquiry, conducted by an outside law firm hired by the school system, examined whether school leaders and the football coach conspired to violate student transfer rules.
In response, Fairfax County Public Schools moved transfer-eligibility decisions from individual high schools to the central office and began using a centralized platform to collect, review, and process transfer requests, per WTOP's reporting. The district also gave its Office of Student Activities and Athletics authority to investigate eligibility concerns and expanded mandatory training to every level of coaching staff, including unpaid volunteers, after the investigation identified gaps. It remains unresolved whether the embezzlement allegations against Thompson are connected in any way to the football-program eligibility findings.
