By Rebecca Gaunt

During the afternoon work session, Cobb County Board of Education Chair David Chastain drew rebukes from the Democratic members of the board when he delivered what he said would be the only public statement regarding Vice Chair John Cristadoro’s recent consent judgment in which he admitted to misappropriating $250,000 of a client’s money in his private business.

Chastain said the board would not exceed its authority and delve into the personal lives and pasts of its members. The statement was met with chuckles and groans from the audience.

“When boards get involved in decisions best made in living rooms, doctors’ offices, courthouses or ballot boxes, students suffer,” Chastain said.

Post 3 board member Leroy Tre’ Hutchins interrupted to call a point of order, and Post 2 board member Becky Sayler said, “You called it ‘our’…your statement, but you called it ‘our.’”

Chastain continued, “As Ms. Wilcox [board attorney] can verify, outside board meeting, no board member has the authority or the ability to make any decision to affect one student or one dollar.” 

He also revealed that Sayler had requested a hearing for an alleged violation of board policy, but said he was advised that the board has no authority.

Post 6 board member Nichelle Davis protested that the prepared statement had not been shared with the board in advance.

“The statement stands,” Chastain said before moving on to the next agenda item.

Cristadoro did not speak on the matter.

In comments to the media, Cristadoro has characterized the lawsuit as a personal matter and accused his critics of manufacturing fake outrage.

Davis immediately posted the following statement on her Facebook page:

I want to make it clear that as an individual member of the Cobb County Board of Education, I do not condone or excuse any form of fiscal misconduct by public officials. Our community entrusts us with public resources to serve students, families, and taxpayers with integrity and transparency. Misuse or mismanagement of resources undermines public trust and distracts from the vital work of educating our children.

I remain committed to upholding the highest ethical standards in governance, ensuring accountability, and maintaining the confidence of the community we serve. Fiscal responsibility is not only a legal obligation…it is a moral one, and I will continue to advocate for transparency, oversight, and integrity in all financial matters.

An online petition calling for Cristadoro’s resignation had 517 signatures as of Thursday. Four Democratic members of the Cobb legislative delegation have also called for his resignation.

Chastain’s statement did not go over well with speakers at the evening session’s public comment, who were supported by people holding signs that said ‘Cristadoro Must Go’ and ‘Cobb County School Board Must Restore Trust.’

Jamie Mohr, a Cobb parent, said, “Your statement exposed more than you intended. It showed this board’s character problem is not isolated. It showed public trust is disposable. It showed other interests are protected before children. And it showed that even proven misconduct is ignored. That is the worst possible lesson to teach our students.”

Parent Heather Tolley-Bauer said, “This wasn’t ancient history. This was happening while he was campaigning and chairing the audit committee. Which means there is no daylight between his personal fraud and his public service.”

Steven Lang read from online reviews of another one of Cristadoro’s companies, Alliance Tax Solutions.

“This business, owned and operated by a school board member, has been given 17 consecutive one-star reviews on Google, including the following public allegations of theft,” he said.

According to court documents, Cristadoro used client funds to cover cash flow shortages at his company, Alliance Activation. Without the consent of his client, Sagicor Life Insurance, Cristadoro put the money it wired to Alliance toward operating expenses and credit cards that included Cristadoro’s personal transactions. Sagicor’s funds were not segregated or placed in escrow or a trust account. In total, Sagicor wired $250,000, $25,000 of which was commission to Alliance for negotiating a sponsorship agreement with Sunburst LLC. Alliance was then unable to make the payment to Sunburst when it came due.

The funds were wired in 2023, and the lawsuit against Cristadoro and his company was filed in 2024. The general public was unaware of the lawsuit during Cristadoro’s 2024 campaign for Post 5, likely because it was filed in Fulton County, where his business is based, rather than Cobb.

Cristadoro tried to have the consent agreement sealed in October 2025, but Fulton County Judge Wesley B. Tailor ruled that the public’s right to know outweighed Cristadoro’s right to privacy.

From the consent judgement:

The Parties acknowledge and agree that this Consent Judgement arises from a debt for money obtained by false pretenses, a false representation, or actual fraud as defined under 11 U.S. Code § 523 (a)(2), and/or from willful and malicious injury by Defendants to the Plaintiff, or Plaintiff’s property, as defined under 11 U.S. Code § 523 (a)(6).

Cristadoro must repay $225,000, which is not eligible for discharge in bankruptcy court.