Teacher Depreciation: Stevie Wonder Tix Stolen

Some teachers who were expecting to bring a guest to a free Stevie Wonder concert no longer have that option because hundreds of those tickets have been stolen.

D.C. Public School teachers were thanked for their hard work by being given tickets to a private concert intended just for D.C. School teachers, charity groups, other city workers and Verizon Center employees. The Pollin family, which owns the Verizon Center organized the concert and set aside 1,500 tickets for D.C. Public School teachers.

The schools were supposed to obtain the tickets and a password from the Ticketmaster website and were notified of this through an email. 

Someone apparently obtained the password and distributed it, WTOP reported.  

"The email invitation DCPS received from the Washington Wizards organization included a link to Ticketmaster and password information. An unknown individual or individuals falsely claimed the vast majority of the tickets, before DCPS could redeem and distribute them to teachers."

That is what Jennifer Calloway, a spokesperson for D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Michele Rhee, wrote in an e-mail addressing the theft.

Teachers were supposed to receive two tickets each for the concert, but instead will now only get one a piece, Calloway said.  

Washington Sports and Entertainment provided D.C. Public Schools with an additional 600 tickets in hard copy form rather than online, according to WTOP. 

Neither DCPS nor the Washington Wizards organization is sure who stole the tickets or their motive, but since the event is free, the tickets have no monetary value.

Fan, follow and text: Get the latest from NBCWashington.com anytime, anywhere. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Sign up for our e-mail newsletters and get breaking news delivered right to your mobile phone -- just text DCBREAKING to 622339 to sign up. (Message and data rates may apply.)

Contact Us