Ex-Sag Harbor PTA official Hope Livingston charged with stealing $10,000 from organization, Suffolk DA says

A former Sag Harbor PTA official accused of stealing more than $10,000 from the organization was charged with third-degree grand larceny on Tuesday, Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney said.

Hope Livingston, 50, surrendered to the district attorney’s office on Tuesday and pleaded not guilty at an arraignment before Riverhead Town Justice Sean M. Walter later in the day, Tierney said in a statement.

"The allegations in this case represent an egregious betrayal of the trust the residents of Sag Harbor placed in this defendant," Tierney said, "and my office will continue to hold accountable those individuals who unlawfully enrich themselves at the public’s expense."

Walter ordered Livingston released without bail. Under New York State law, prosecutors cannot ask a judge to set bail for third-degree grand larceny, Tierney said.

Livingston was represented at the arraignment by the Legal Aid Society, which did not respond to a request for comment.

Livingston served as the co-treasurer of the Sag Harbor Elementary School PTA from July 2021 to June 2022, Tierney said. She served as vice president from July 2022 through June 2024. She had access at that time to a debit card for the PTA’s bank account, which she was only to use for PTA-related purchases.

When the PTA bank account was turned over to new board members in September 2024, officials learned Livingston had used PTA funds for personal expenses, including purchases from Costco, Amazon, Target, Lululemon and Sag Harbor businesses, according to the statement. Livingston also withdrew cash directly from the PTA bank account on numerous occasions.

Sag Harbor Elementary School PTA officials also did not respond to a request for comment.