BATON ROUGE - The former head of Impact Charter School, her family members and an independent contractor were indicted by a federal grand jury on Thursday in connection with the embezzlement of school funds. 

The school's previous CEO Chakesha Scott, her husband Eric Scott, their daughter Courtney Scott and contractor Sam Green were named in a criminal indictment filed in the Middle District of Louisiana. The four are accused of conspiring with one another to use school funds for personal use and creating false documents to make the payments appear as business expenses, a scheme that allegedly spanned from 2018 to 2024. 

The indictment says Chakesha Scott diverted more than $2 million to a bank account for a separate organization called Friends of Impact Charter School, where she also served as CEO.

Chakesha Scott paid $166,520 from a school account for a 2021 Land Rover and a 2017 Acura MDX for her and her daughter to use, the document says, and the expenses were not authorized. Chakesha Scott also allegedly paid $42,371 to buy a 2018 Tesla from a dealership in Metairie. 

Chakesha and Eric Scott, over the course of four years, also intentionally misapplied $292,993 collected from families for school uniforms and activities, official allege. 

In 2022, Chakesha Scott allegedly used $171,659 in Impact Charter funds to pay closing costs on a property that the school system did not own. During the same year, Chakesha and Eric Scott allegedly paid $114,094 for personal travel expenses on credit cards connected to Impact Charter. 

Officials say Chakesha Scott intentionally overpaid Green, who worked for Sam Green and Sons, and instructed him to send the extra money to her personal account. Green allegedly did work on the Scott family property, which was paid for by funds from the school. 

Each of the people listed in the indictment were charged with conspiracy to commit theft concerning programs receiving federal funds. Eric Scott faces an additional two counts of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds. Chakesha Scott is also charged with money laundering and five counts of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds.

Impact Charter, which is operated by Education Explosion, was raided in May 2024. A scathing audit was released in February 2025, which detailed the alleged abuse of school funds. Days after the audit was published, the Louisiana State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education appointed a new board of directors to lead the school. 

The Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education on Thursday said the organization was aware of the recent federal indictment, noting that as with any legal matter, individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

"Because this is an active legal proceeding, it would be inappropriate for BESE to comment further on the specific allegations at this time," officials from the organization wrote in a statement. "Our focus remains on ensuring Louisiana students receive a high-quality education and that those entrusted with serving our schools uphold the highest standards of integrity and accountability. When individuals violate the public's trust, they must be held accountable through the appropriate legal and administrative processes. BESE will continue to prioritize the success of Louisiana's students while allowing the judicial process to proceed."

Louisiana State Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley also shared a statement on the indictment. 

“Today’s federal indictment reinforces the Louisiana Department of Education and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education’s decision in early 2025 to install new leadership and protect the school’s students and staff," Brumley said. "We appreciate federal investigators for pursuing this matter, and trust the judicial system to resolve this issue in accordance with the law.”