Elementary school principal accused of buying clothes and toys with $5,000 in public funds

DES MOINES, Iowa -- An elementary school principal in Iowa is accused of going on a spending spree with public funds.

Eric Van Dorin resigned last August.

Des Moines Public School District documents show they began an internal audit of purchases made by Van Dorin with school funds from July 2015 to July 2017.

The audit revealed just under $5,000 of items purchased were for personal use.

They included clothing, Bluetooth speakers, a smart watch and nearly $2,000 worth of sports memorabilia and collectible figurines like Funko Pops, which were displayed in his office.

WHO-TV reports Van Dorin reimbursed the school for more than $1,800 and returned some of the items purchased.

The board of educational examiners has suspended his teaching license until June 2018.