Around $600 in cash was reported missing from the Undergraduate Earth Sciences Association (UESA) on January 17. The disappearance was reported to Campus Police, who are currently investigating the incident.
According to a source with knowledge of the matter, only the 10 UESA executives have access to the locker where the money was held. The funds were last seen by UESA President Aldo Fusciardi on January 15, and they were discovered to be missing by Vice-President Shantel Turna on January 17. Fusciardi resigned from his post on February 3.
The incident has reportedly not been mentioned in UESA meetings since the disappearance. According to the source, it is very hard for students to accuse anyone of theft due to the close-knit nature of the Earth Sciences Department.
The money taken was likely the whole of the profits the association had made since its last deposit, according to the source, and would have likely gone toward hosting events for the department’s undergraduate students.
The disappearance of the funds occurred days after the resignation of UESA Treasurer Michael Neinhuis, who reportedly left a note in the locker announcing his departure. The Varsity is not aware of any evidence to suggest that Neinhuis is responsible for the disappearance of the funds.
U of T spokesperson Althea Blackburn-Evans said that Campus Police aren’t able to share any further details about the ongoing investigation.
As of press time, there were no updates as to the disappearance of the funds. Fusciardi and Neinhuis did not respond to The Varsity’s requests for comment.
Editor’s Note (February 8): This article has been updated to clarify that The Varsity is not aware of any evidence to suggest that UESA Michael Neinhuis is responsible for the disappearance of the funds.
