ADEL, Iowa — The former Woodward-Granger Community School District business manager who stole about $270,000 in district funds was placed on probation for three years Friday by Dallas County District Court Judge Randy V. Hefner.
Melissa Lee “Missy” Lantz, 35, of Woodward received a suspended sentence of 10 years imprisonment after pleading guilty to a charge of first-degree theft in connection with five-year string of suspicious financial transactions.
Lantz was placed on administrative leave when the thefts were discovered in 2017, and she later resigned. The office of the Iowa Auditor of State conducted a comprehensive investigation of the district’s books and identified the improper disbursements.
A victim impact statement (VIS) submitted by the Woodward-Granger Community School District Board of Directors was read in open court. The statement detailed the effects of both the financial loss and the harm to the district’s reputation in the eyes of the community and other school districts.
The board’s VIS said Lantz’s web of lies has shaken the confidence of teachers and local unions in the school district’s management. They said her manipulation of the district’s budget harmed union negotiations and caused the unnecessary elimination of teaching and non-teaching positions. Lantz sat by and knowlingly watched others lose their jobs as a result of her self-engrossment.
“Individuals should not be able to commit crimes like this and get away with it,” the W-G School Board’s VIS said. “The emotional and financial impact in our community and local tax base will be felt for years to come. We ask that you consider making an example out of Mrs. Lantz in holding her accountable for her actions.”
Lantz’s lawyer, Todd Lantz of the Weinhardt law firm in Des Moines, told investigators last year that Lantz “understands that she demonstrated very poor judgment and acted wrongly” and that she “accepts responsibility for her actions and is deeply remorseful.”
Her lawyer filed 20 letters Monday with the court that were written in support of Lantz and came from her husband, parents, siblings, in-laws and other family members, plus seven friends and two employers.
In addition to probation, Hefner ordered Lantz to pay restitution to the school district and to participate in the Victim Offender Reconciliation Program. As part of the sentence, she will also serve 250 hours of community service, surrender a DNA sample and face a five-year no-contact order, restricting her access to school district facilities.
