Storrs, CT – A University of Connecticut professor has been placed on administrative leave and charged with larceny after an investigation revealed she used university and grant funds to bankroll personal travel, including vacations to Disney World, international trips, and visits to family members.
Sherry Lynne Zane, 56, a faculty member in UConn’s women’s, gender, and sexuality studies program, was charged with first-degree larceny on Feb. 13.
The case emerged from an internal probe by UConn’s Office of University Compliance, which determined she violated multiple financial policies over a span of two years.
The university launched an inquiry after discovering that Zane had expensed $58,084 in travel costs for trips that did not meet the institution’s reimbursement criteria.
The expenses covered flights, lodging, meals, and other travel-related costs incurred between June 2021 and December 2023. The trips, investigators found, were not tied to university business but instead benefited Zane and her immediate family.
Among the excursions flagged in the investigation were three separate trips to Disney World, travel to Chicago to visit her mother and stepfather, and seven visits to Belfast, Northern Ireland, where her daughter was attending university.
Investigators also identified personal trips to Portugal, Myrtle Beach, Duck, North Carolina, and Newport, Rhode Island.
The warrant states that Zane’s travels included attending her daughter’s graduation, visiting her daughter at school, and even getting married in Northern Ireland.
Authorities determined that the expenses, which were submitted for reimbursement under the guise of research and teaching-related activities, were not justified.
UConn policy dictates that employees may only seek reimbursement for travel deemed essential to university business. Expenses must align with IRS regulations and be accompanied by documentation proving their academic or professional purpose.
The university concluded that Zane circumvented these policies by submitting misleading travel requests and reimbursement forms.
In total, Zane embarked on 19 trips over 187 days during the two-year period under scrutiny. The university’s compliance office formally completed its investigation on Nov. 14 and referred the matter to UConn Police. A day later, Zane was placed on administrative leave.
According to the arrest warrant, Zane’s supervisor in the English department had signed off on the travel. However, investigators later determined that Zane had provided misleading information in her documentation, portraying the trips as necessary for her academic work. The investigation found discrepancies in her submissions, indicating that the trips were personal in nature rather than linked to research or teaching.
The findings led to a first-degree larceny charge, a felony under Connecticut law. Zane was released on a $10,000 bond pending further legal proceedings.
In a statement, UConn President Radenka Maric emphasized the university’s commitment to ethical and financial oversight. She said the institution employs various mechanisms to identify misconduct, including audits and compliance reviews.
Maric stressed that the university takes disciplinary action when policy violations occur, as seen in this case.
“UConn takes its ethics and compliance responsibilities very seriously, and it is critical that we always hold ourselves and our workforce to the highest standards of accountability,” Maric said.
University officials have not disclosed whether Zane will face termination, stating only that she remains on administrative leave while the disciplinary process unfolds.
Larceny in the first degree is a serious charge in Connecticut, typically applied in cases where stolen assets exceed $20,000. If convicted, Zane could face substantial penalties, including imprisonment and restitution orders.
