PITTSBURGH – A McKees Rocks school district alleges an entity that previously organized musicals for its high school has refused to return thousands of dollars after the district decided to absolve its responsibility.
Montour School District filed a complaint Jan. 9 in the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County against the Montour Friends for the Performing Arts (MFPA), Jennifer Felt, Michelle Ellis, Amy Spezialetti and Helen Zwikl alleging conversion.
According to the suit, the MFPA was established as a community organization to support Montour High School musical production and received its operating budget from the school district. The school district alleges that in September 2019, it decided to stop the MFPA's organization of the school performances and requested the return of the $26,635.53 that MFPA had in its account provided by the school. The plaintiff claims the MFPA refuses to return the school district's funds.
The school district seeks monetary relief of $26,635.53 and other just relief. It is represented by M. Janet Burkardt of Weiss Burkardt Kramer LLC in Pittsburgh.