(Maire Clayton, Headline USA) A New York City Department of Education manager and five other employees used grants intended for homeless students to bring family members on city-funded trips, according to a report from the Special Commissioner of Investigation for the New York City School District.
The DOE “Students in Temporary Housing” employees allegedly used the information of homeless students to forge “permission slips” to take their children and grandchildren on trips.
The commissioner’s office opened an investigation in March 2019 after it received a complaint regarding the alleged fraud.
Between 2016 and 2019, staffers and their families took trips to destinations including Washington, D.C.; New Orleans; a New York off-Broadway show; and Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
Linda Wilson, Queens regional manager for the Students in Temporary Housing program, allegedly encouraged employees to bring family as the trips were paid for and homeless students would reportedly drop out, according to a whistleblower from the SCI report.
After canceling a Philadelphia trip due to the investigation, an employee told the New York Post Wilson allegedly stated that “everyone should stick to the same story that we did not take our children on the trip.”
The commissioner’s report added that Wilson and STH Program Manager Shaquieta Boyd were responsible for determining employees who could attend trips, assigning students to chaperones and purportedly replacing those students with family of staff.
The agreements were allegedly “made in person to avoid having anything in writing,” the report stated.
Mishawn Jack, Virgen Ramos, Maria Sylvester and Joanne Castro were also accused of bringing children and grandchildren on STH trips.
Wilson denied claims she brought her children or allowed employees to bring family members on trips.
DOE spokeswoman Jenna Lyle told the Post, “All staff identified in this report are no longer employed by New York City Public Schools.”
The January 2023 report recommended the employees be terminated and the “DOE should seek reimbursement for all expenses incurred.”
Wilson stated she retired from the DOE and was not terminated. The DOE did not reveal if any employee was disciplined or paid restitution.
