Darin Thompson, the former Hayfield Secondary School principal accused of embezzling nearly $8,000 in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) funds, faces arraignment Thursday, Oct. 8.

Thompson, 51, of Lorton, turned himself in to the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center on Sept. 30 and was charged with felony embezzlement, according to a Fairfax County Police Department press release. He was released on a $3,000 unsecured bond.

FCPS serves Vienna-area schools including James Madison and Oakton high schools. The district has not commented publicly on the charges beyond the administrative actions noted in the police release.

Police say Thompson used school-issued payment cards to cover personal travel and attendance at events unrelated to his job. The Franconia Police District's Financial Crimes Unit handled the case.

The investigation began April 21 after the FCPS Office of Auditor General alerted police to an employee's alleged fraudulent use of school payment cards.

Thompson joined FCPS in July 2023 and served about two years as Hayfield Secondary's principal before moving in September 2025 to a senior administrator role overseeing nontraditional public school programs, Patch reported. The position is now listed as vacant on the FCPS website. FCPS placed Thompson on administrative leave after learning of the allegations and suspended him following his arrest, according to the police release.

Thompson's case is the second embezzlement charge tied to Hayfield Secondary this year. In summer 2026, Stephanie Gale, 45, a finance technician at the school, was charged with embezzling over $40,000 and with computer fraud. Gale's preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 4 in Fairfax County General District Court, FFXnow reported.

Police told FFXnow that information uncovered during Gale's investigation led detectives to investigate Thompson. The department said the two cases have no known connection beyond the fact that the two individuals worked together.

No statement from Thompson or a defense attorney has appeared in public records.