Paul Hammel
LINCOLN — The Nebraska State Auditor’s Office on Wednesday accused the former director of an Ogallala senior center of improperly paying herself more than $11,000 upon leaving the job.
According to an audit of the Keith County Senior Center, Jeanine “Jeanie” Herman paid herself $2,380 twice for unused vacation leave upon her exit in March 2023.
In addition, Herman obtained checks of $7,480 for unused sick leave, even though the center didn’t pay for unused sick leave, and other checks for $1,360 for “Vacation Salary” and “Sick Salary” that also were not allowed. None of the payments was approved by the center’s board of directors, the auditor noted.
The Auditor’s Office, in a five-page letter to the senior center, said it was referring its findings to the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office and Keith County Attorney’s Office for possible criminal prosecution for theft.
Attempts to reach Herman, who served two years as the center’s director, were not immediately successful Wednesday.
The senior center did not provide an official response to the audit. But a spokesperson for the center said Wednesday that it was in the process of negotiating with Herman about the alleged overpayments.