Worcester Co. Board of Ed. Official Charged with Felony Theft Scheme, Embezzlement

WORCESTER COUNTY, Md. – The Maryland State Prosecutor has announced that a senior member of the Worcester County Board of Education has been charged with felony theft over one hundred thousand dollars.

Commissioner Caryn Abbott provides WMDT with a reaction as we get close to the final budget tone.”Well, it’s very concerning, but it highlights exactly why strong oversight and accountability are essential.”

Officials say Denise R. Shorts also faces charges of embezzlement and misconduct in office. She reportedly worked for Worcester County Public Schools (WCPS) from 1989 until early this year, most recently serving as the Chief Academic Officer (Assistant Superintendent) and as the WCPS Title I grant coordinator. In the grant coordinator role, Shorts was permitted to make purchases for educational purposes and for the benefit of the school system. However, according to the charging document, from 2019 through Oct. 2025, Shorts used her school-issued Purchase Card to make $118,741.89 in personal purchases from Amazon, submitting invoices she physically altered in support of those purchases.

Community members distraught by the news. Charlie Horner was at the boardwalk, and told WMDT what he thought. “The thing with a lot of these cases. I don’t know if they did enough background check on who they hired.”

“Officials entrusted with the administration of valuable community resources intended for the education of needy children have a responsibility to act with integrity,” said State Prosecutor Charlton T. Howard, III. “Our Office is committed to holding accountable any individuals who are found to have abused such positions of trust.”

Another community member, Mario, was on the boardwalk and explained what he thinks. “The people out here can’t even get food stamps, maybe $20 or $30, people like me getting $298 and don’t have a steady job. And people who work all their life, they have something and they don’t have.”

Shorts altered receipts by cutting out the item description or shipping address from the fake receipt, and taped it over the actual Amazon receipt. She made copies and submitted the altered receipts in support of her purchases. Shorts falsely indicated that $84,365.82 of the purchases made from Amazon were to benefit Title I schools, which resulted in that amount being deducted from a grant intended to support students of low-income families. Shorts purchased thousands of dollars in pool equipment, clothing, make-up, hair and skin care, and other personal items. She also purchased materials and equipment for a learning center partially owned by her, and furnishings for her vacation home in Florida.

Shorts fraudulent activity was reportedly found by the Office of Legislative Audits during a routine audit. Shorts allegedly submitted fake personal credit card statements to attempt to hide the discrepancies found during the audit.

The Worcester County Board of Education confirmed the charges on Tuesday afternoon, saying they have fully cooperated throughout the investigation. On Dec. 13, 2025, a search and seizure warrant was executed on Shorts’ office within the Board of Education Building. At that time, Shorts was immediately placed on administrative leave. On Feb. 23, the Department of Legislative Services issued its initial audit findings, referencing, “identified questionable purchases by a management employee which we referred to the Office of the State Prosecutor.”

“We take our responsibility to safeguard public resources extremely seriously,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Annette Wallace. “Any misuse of funds intended to support students and staff is unacceptable, and we are committed to full accountability.”

Shorts submitted her intent to vacate her position with the school system on Mar. 26. The Board is anticipated to act on this separation at their Apr. 21 meeting, and says they cannot comment further on specific details due to the ongoing nature of the investigation.

Commissioner Abbott said that this type of instance causes concern on transparency with parents and students. “Because it’s about the kids, it’s about the teachers, and the taxpayer dollars. If they haven’t learned anything by now, then they should know we are very concerned about the taxpayer dollars.”

She further stated that she put forth a proposal to revoke the waiver previously introduced by former Superintendent Lou Taylor, which would have effectively prevented any legislative audits from occurring within the specified fourteen-year period.

“Our community places its trust in us to act with integrity,” Board of Education President Todd Ferrante said. “We are committed to strict oversight, learning from this situation, and implementing stronger safeguards to ensure it does not happen again.”

To read the charging document in its entirety, click here.