Former Ernest Righetti High School teacher Clint Hinkle is facing felony charges of embezzlement for allegedly appropriating $1,544.84 worth of tools from Righetti. Hinkle pleaded not guilty to his charges at a hearing on May 6.
Attorney Michael Scott, who is representing Hinkle in this case, said Hinkle ordered 20 tools for Righetti’s woodshop class last school year. He picked up the tools, stacked them in a closet on campus, and later retired from his position. When Hinkle’s successor did inventory of the tool closet, he found that the 20 tools Hinkle had ordered were missing.
The district contacted the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office about the alleged theft. Deputies went to Hinkle’s house and searched his garage, where they found two batteries and a battery charger that appeared to match the descriptions of a few of the high school’s missing tools, Scott said.
However, the tools’ supplier could not provide a serial number to confirm that the tools found in Hinkle’s garage were the same as those missing from the school.
“They’re attributing it to my client,” Scott said, “but no one saw him with the items, no one saw him take the items, no one can refute the fact that he put them in the closet after he picked them up. The case is based on nothing but suspicion.”
Scott said the missing tools were kept in an unlocked closet to which many school officials had access.
“This case, I’m surprised it was even filed,” he said. “[Hinkle] retired after many years of good service. He denied taking the items.”
Hinkle has contacted the police department requesting the return of his batteries and battery charger. The items have not been returned.
His next hearing is scheduled for May 25 at 8:30 a.m. in the Santa Maria courthouse.
Santa Maria Joint Union High School District spokesperson Kenneth Klein said the district has no comment on the matter.
This article appears in May 12-19, 2016.
