Quick Take
Dustin Colyer-Worth has been charged with four counts of grand theft by embezzlement in San Luis Obispo County, where he was the executive director of the Gala Pride and Diversity Center in San Luis Obispo.
Dustin Robert Colyer-Worth, 46, outreach manager for the Diversity Center in Santa Cruz, has been charged with four counts of grand theft by embezzlement in San Luis Obispo County, according to a release from the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office. He was formerly the executive director of the Gala Pride and Diversity Center in San Luis Obispo.
According to the criminal complaint filed on Nov. 17 in San Luis Obispo County Superior Court, Colyer-Worth allegedly took money and personal property totaling more than $950 in value from the Gala Pride and Diversity Center four times between November 2022 and October 2024.
“Embezzlement of funds is a crime that we take seriously,” said San Luis Obispo District Attorney Dan Dow in the release. “It inflicts real financial harm, but its deeper damage is the broken trust and the lost opportunities when the money intended for our community is diverted into private pockets.”
The release says that Colyer-Worth posted a $20,000 bond on Nov. 25 and is currently out of custody. He is scheduled for arraignment on Dec. 10 in San Luis Obispo County Superior Court.
Colyer-Worth did not return Lookout’s request for comment by publication time. On Friday, The Diversity Center sent a statement to Lookout saying that it was aware of the charges, and that Colyer-Worth will remain employed throughout the legal process, per California labor laws.
“We will not allow this matter to distract us from the critical services The Diversity Center continues to provide for our community,” the statement reads.
The Diversity Center advocates for LGBTQ+ residents of Santa Cruz and Monterey counties and provides services, education and events for the communities.
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FOR THE RECORD: This story has been updated with a statement from The Diversity Center.
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