CLAY COUNTY, Fla. — Parents in Clay County speak out about a Cheer Director accused of stealing more than $20,000. Clay County deputies arrested Amanda Herndon over the weekend.
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From sadness and disappointment to anger and frustration, parents say this entire situation is disturbing, especially since kids are the ones affected. Parents tell me they first found out about the news in July.
“No matter which way you look at it, you were taking money from children,” parent Clarissa Mathieu said. “And it doesn’t get lower than that, in my opinion.”
Amanda Herndon created the not-for-profit, ‘Crush Cheerleading’ in June 2021. Saturday, she was arrested and charged with grand theft of $20,000 or more in connection with taking money from the organization. The arrest warrant says for about two years, she “used company funds for her own use and gains…”
“She wouldn’t have had that play money that she had if we had had our gym because all of that extra money would have gone to you know monthly fee is gym, upkeep, equipment, things like that,” Mathieu said.
Mathieu is a cheer mom with two kids in the program. She says parents were told the extra money being collected would go towards their own gym. But that never happened.
“It just kind of leaves a sick feeling in your stomach,” Mathieu said.
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After she was arrested, Herndon bonded out for $50,000 that same day. Action News Jax Annette Gutierrez went to her house to see if she was there. Herndon’s father opened the door and declined to comment when asked about the allegations of fraud.
All he said was, “There is about 8 kids in this house, and they’re already catching h*** at school over this s***.”
Mathieu says no kids should have to suffer from this.
“It’s not fair,” Mathieu said. “Her kid should not have to deal with any repercussions for what you she did or didn’t do. And my heart does break for them.”
More than 50 kids were in this program. The parents tell me, the co-directors created a new cheer program called Revolution Athletics.
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