Simon Fraser University is suing a former manager to recover almost $200,000 that it alleges she stole over five years, including payments to her family for work that wasn't done and buying an iPhone and an office chair for personal use with a work credit card, according to a lawsuit.
The theft included deposits into a personal bank account of cash revenues from ticket sales for an SFU theatre event, e-transfers from fellow employees for their cellphone data plans and cash from students for their locker rental fees, alleged the lawsuit filed in B.C. Supreme Court.
The lawsuit alleges Kristen Tanya Schiefke -- through fraud or negligence -- committed thefts over five years, from 2018 to 2023, starting while she was an administrative manager for the school of contemporary arts.
Also named as defendants are her husband, Solon Vine, who worked as a drywaller, and her stepson, who is not being named because he's a minor.
Schiefke, who had worked at SFU since 2007 and in her managerial position since 2012, had authority to make payroll and other financial decisions "with little or no oversight," according to the lawsuit.
SFU's media relations department refused to comment on how the fraud went undetected for five years, why an employee had sole signing authority for financial expenses, and if anything had been done to prevent a recurrence.
In 2018, Schiefke made a number of payments to a company called KTS Kreations, her own company named after her initials, through invoices for services rendered for set and costume design and production, the suit said. She paid $46,530 to herself or her company, but "KTS had not performed any work for or rendered any services to SFU."
In 2019, Schiefke added Vine to SFU's payroll as a research assistant and paid him an honorarium of $1,800 to be a guest speaker and another time $4,800 to direct and produce an arts production, according to the suit.
She also paid Vine through several later payroll payments between early 2019 and early 2023 a total of $138,734.57, or about $145,000 in total.
She also put her stepson on the payroll as a project assistant and paid him $5,248 for three months' work in May to July 2021
Vine and the son "did not and would not perform any work or render any services to SFU," the lawsuit said.
Payments to all three totalled more than $197,000.
But an audit begun in 2023 also found Schiefke had made several unlawful transactions between 2018 and 2023 using SFU funds for her personal use, including buying a computer and a camera she said was for students, and and iPhone, which she misrepresented as being for laptop repairs, both in 2020, the lawsuit alleged
She also reimbursed herself for expenses she had paid for with a school credit card, it alleged.
SFU also found credit card payments for a second office chair for Schiefke and a "large amount" charged to Gardenworks.
When questioned, Schiefke said she would pay for the portion of the gardening purchases for her personal use and return the chair.
But instead of returning it, Schiefke transferred funds from another operating account to pay for the chair, the lawsuit said.
She then admitted she had kept the chair for her personal use and shortly after went on a medical leave.
She declined in December to participate in a third-party investigation and on Aug. 8, she resigned.
"SFU has suffered substantial loss, damage, and expense," including the cost of the investigation, the lawsuit said.
SFU alleges the couple used the funds to pay for or improve their two-bedroom condo in the Westwood Plateau area of Coquitlam and are claiming an interest in it through the court.
SFU is seeking unspecified general damages for breach of contract and of fiduciary duty and for fraudulent or negligent misrepresentation.
None of the allegations has been proven in court.
Schiefke didn't return messages requesting comment.