A Queens public school staffer admitted funneling nearly a half-million dollars to her private cheerleading team to pay for uniforms, trophies and other items, according to the watchdog agency for New York City’s public schools.
Former Department of Education “Community Associate” Abi Corbin, 54, pleaded guilty Tuesday to grand larceny in the second degree for stealing a total of $415,000 from the East-West School of International Studies, P.S. 281Q in Flushing. She used the cash to buy merchandise and equipment for her personal business, Queens Campus Cheer, said the Special Commissioner of Investigation.
The scheme went undetected for three years until several boxes of cheerleading merchandise, with many items featuring the Queens Campus Cheer logo, were delivered to the school, according to the just-released probe.
The school did not have a cheerleading squad.
“There is nothing to cheer about when nearly $415,000 intended for a public school is stolen for personal gain,” Special Commissioner Anastasia Coleman said in a statement. “This was an egregious abuse of a position of trust, and this guilty plea makes clear that those who exploit their positions for personal gain will be held accountable.”
Corbin is expected to be sentenced to five years of probation, according to a SCI news release shared with the Daily News before the formal announcement.
An attorney for Corbin could not be reached immediately for comment.
In her position as community associate, Corbin served as the school’s business manager and was able to make purchases and process vendor work orders through the public schools’ financial management system. A former school principal admitted to investigators that he provided Corbin with his password.
Between July 2021 and July 2024, Corbin logged into the system using the principal’s credentials and used his signature to approve purchase orders to Queens Campus Cheer, of which she was the director and founder, SCI found. The team was not affiliated with the school or DOE.
Investigators found 128 unauthorized purchase orders, including four made directly to the cheerleading business for services not provided.
The vast majority of the purchases, 116, were for logoed uniforms, apparel, water bottles, bags, trophies, flags and supplies. The orders also included $22,000 for a Cheerleading Award & Dinner Gala in 2023 decorated with flowers and a photo booth.
Eight of the purchase orders were for sports tickets at the Mets, Nets, Giants and Rangers. Investigators found a social media post that said Queens Campus Cheer performed at a Nets game halftime show.
Corbin was suspended without pay in August 2024 and resigned a couple of months later, according to SCI. Her school principal retired from the DOE in February 2025.
Corbin was indicted last October by Queens County District Attorney Melinda Katz on grand larceny as well as a second charge, identity theft in the first degree, after she allegedly forged the principal’s name using a signature stamp on checks. She pled not guilty to that charge, according to court filings.
Corbin’s sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 13 before Queens Supreme Criminal Court Judge Michael Gaffey, according to court documents.
