Greater Clark board member accused of stealing

• Perkins will be arraigned on August 12 in Franklin, Tenn.
• Perkins represents district seven for Greater Clark County Schools

A Greater Clark County school boardmember was charged with shoplifting jewelry in a Tennessee store after she used her credit card to buy some other items, police said.

Teresa Bottorff Perkins, 66, can be seen concealing about 30 pieces of jewelry on the surveillance video at the Shoppes on Main boutique in Franklin, Tenn., but before leaving, she paid for two items totaling $55 with her credit card, revealing her identity, the city’s police said.

Perkins’ credit card statements have been subpoenaed as evidence, according to court documents.

Store owner Janis Gaudette said she used her store’s surveillance equipment once she noticed a piece of “statement jewelry” was missing.

Gaudette said in a phone interview Monday that she looked “when it was there and when it wasn’t there,” and saw the same woman.

Gaudette said she doesn’t have a huge inventory and shoplifting is not common at her store. “That’s why it was so easy to see that things were missing,” she said.

She said she hopes the situation is resolved soon. “It’s sad when something like this happens,” she said.

Perkins — a former assistant superintendent for New Albany-Floyd County schools who has also run for Jeffersonville mayor —has been charged with one count of felony shoplifting, a Class D felony in Tennessee. That offense carries a minimum sentence of two years in prison. A jury could also levy a fine of less than $5,000.

Perkins’ lawyer in Franklin, Sandra Wells, had no comment when reached by phone.

Larry Wilder, Perkins’ lawyer in Indiana, said his client would not talk to the media but confirmed that Perkins is still on the school board. Wilder said all of the facts in the case would come to light in August.

Erin Bojorquez, a spokeswoman for Greater Clark, could not be reached by phone Monday evening for comment.

Perkins is out on a $5,000 bond following an indictment from the Williamson County grand jury in Tennessee in late June. She will be arraigned Aug. 12.

Reporter Michael McKay can be reached at (502) 582-4653. Follow him on Twitter @MichaelMcKay716