Former Austin ISD executive accused of stealing thousands from district

AUSTIN (KXAN) — A former public school official is accused of stealing thousands of dollars from the Austin Independent School District for nearly a year.

A grand jury on Friday indicted Lynn Brennan, 45, who used to be AISD’s Executive Director of Compensation and Benefits, with stealing between $30,000 and $150,000 from the district using gift cards. Austin ISD and police haven't specified the exact amount believed to be stolen.

The indictment alleges Brennan stole the district's funds beginning in May 2022 and continuing until March 2023. However, according to district officials, Brennan resigned from the district in July 2022 and began working for the city that same month.

Bond records list Angelica Williams, another former AISD employee who worked in her department, as Brennan’s co-defendant. City of Austin officials said in a statement to KXAN that Williams was also recently indicted in connection with her previous employment with AISD.

Williams also resigned on Sept. 1 before being hired at the same city department as Brennan.

KXAN contacted Brennan and her attorney for comment. We will update this story when we receive a response. As of Thursday afternoon, attorney information for Williams wasn't available in court records.

A city spokesperson told KXAN in a statement that there were no records or information indicating any concern with their previous employment at AISD.

The district did not share when it became aware of the allegations.

The city has placed both on administrative leave and is reviewing contracts and accounts Brennan and Williams were involved in while working in the HR department.

Grace Reader contributed to this report.