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A former school principal in the East Bay has been charged with multiple felonies alleging embezzlement and other financial crimes, according to the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office.
Victor Dawson, 52, was the owner of New Horizons, a private elementary and middle school in Newark; he served as principal of New Horizons as well as for Mission Hills Middle School in Castro Valley, according to prosecutors, who announced the criminal case Jan. 21.
Dawson is accused of two counts of felony wage theft, two counts of felony tax evasion and one count of misdemeanor tax evasion, and one count of felony embezzlement from teachers and the parents of students.
Prosecutors allege that in 2024, Dawson committed wage theft against 47 teachers and other staff. It is also alleged that he embezzled retirement contributions from six teachers, taking the money from their retirement savings from their paychecks and using the money for his own benefit. He allegedly evaded paying state taxes and payroll taxes by failing to file the necessary tax returns, while allegedly deducting payroll taxes from the teachers’ paychecks and using those deductions for his own benefit.
The investigation into Dawson began after teachers contacted the California Labor Commissioner’s Office, according to Commissioner Lilia Garcia-Bower.
According to prosecutors, a civil judgment against Dawson includes wages owed to employees, labor law penalties, and civil penalties totaling $687,986.42.
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