Royal Oak High School Principal Back in Court Friday

Principal Michael Greening, , is due back in court Friday morning for a preliminary examination conference.

Greening, who has , is alleged to have taken between $2,000 and up to $40,000 from the school's student activities funds. The penalty, if convicted, is up to five years in prison and/or a fine of $10,000 or three times the amount embezzled, whichever is greater.

Since the high school's roughly 1,500 students and families learned of the allegations against Greening, the school district administration and Royal Oak Police investigators have provided little information or comment during the investigation.

Public discussion has at times been contentious, as community members use public forums such as Royal Oak Patch and Facebook to debate Greening's innocence or guilt, while waiting for the case to work its way through the criminal justice system.

“We all want answers and they will come, until then I urge no judgments either way,” Royal Oak High School parent Kelly Geyer wrote on Royal Oak Patch.

Others expressed their doubts after reading details about what brought about the charges, such as "Royal Oak Parent" who commented, "Where did all of the money go then? Yes, Mr. Greening was a great principal and we thought he was a great guy. The money does not just disappear."

Many students and members of the community have stood behind Greening, a longtime Royal Oak resident with two daughters at the high school, since he was placed on leave. A Facebook page called Save Greening has posts urging people to show support for Greening in various ways. Some are calling for the wearing of green Friday, while others are trying to raise money to defray Greening’s legal costs.

Royal Oak Police on April 19 that more than $6,000 worth of transactions in 2010 and more than $5,000 in transactions in 2011 were identified as being deposited into Greening's personal bank accounts or converted to his personal use from cash deposits made for the Royal Oak High School student activities fund.

The student activities fund includes money from a variety of events, clubs and groups such as football, drama club, robotics, prom and the Spirit Club.

Greening, who remains free on $50,000 personal recognizance bond, is due before Judge Terrence Brennan in in Royal Oak at 9 a.m.