Columbus Woman Arrested for Stealing from Southside Elementary Extracurricular Funds

A Columbus woman has been arrested following an investigation into the theft of over $50,000 from a local elementary school’s extracurricular funds.

In December 2025, a CPD officer was informed by a BCSC employee that they uncovered evidence during an audit that led them to believe an employee at Southside Elementary, Lily Parker, had been stealing funds from the school’s extracurricular account. Parker was immediately  fired from BCSC due to violating corporation policy.

A detective was assigned to the case and teamed up with Indiana State Board of Accounts and the Bartholomew County Prosecutor’s Office to investigate further.

On June 2nd, 2026, formal charges were filed for:
• Theft, a level 5 felony
• Forgery, a level 6 felony
• Counterfeiting, a level 6 felony
• Official Misconduct, a level 6 felony

A warrant was issued for Parker’s arrest. She was taken into custody and booked into the Bartholomew County Jail.