Greed vs Homelessness, NYC Education Officials, Take Their Kids And Grandkids On Trips

Whenever I think the left has hit an unattainable new low, they consistently prove me wrong and set a new floor. Recently, the Special Commissioner of Investigation for the New York City School District (SCI) completed a year-long investigation and exposed that NYC officials took their own children and family members on “enrichment” trips that were meant for homeless children.  

Let that sink in. A program that was designated to bring some homeless children some much-needed happiness was hijacked by sick liberals thinking only about themselves. In its report, SCI alleges that six state Department of Education (DOE) employees working for the Queens Students in Temporary Housing (STH) program forged “permission slips in the names of students” but took their children instead, robbing homeless students of trips that cost tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars.

As one whistle-blower said, “Few of the homeless students listed on the paperwork actually attended the trips.”

The trips were designed to take children to Disney World, Washington, D.C., and other locations to broaden their horizons and provide them with “enrichment opportunities” as rewards for good attendance or academics for the homeless students in the district. 

Investigators have revealed that Queens Regional Manager Linda M. Wilson frequently brought one or two of her daughters along on work trips despite regulations prohibiting family members from attending, even if they reimburse the Department of Education for their expenses. Wilson’s annual salary from the DOE is reported to be $99,726.

Wilson also sucked others into her web of deceit. Investigators stated that she also urged several of her employees to do the same: Program Manager Shaquieta Boyd, Family Assistant Joanne Castro, Family Assistant Mishawn Jack, Family Assistant Virgen Ramos, and Community Coordinator Maria Sylvester.

“Upon review of the above facts, SCI substantiated that DOE Queens Students in Temporary Housing Regional Manager Linda Wilson brought family members on [STH] sponsored trips, and also allowed other [STH] employees …  to bring their family members on [STH]-sponsored trips.” 

While Boyd and Jack were subsequently terminated, they both argued they had done nothing wrong because Wilson, their supervisor, had given them approval.

“The supervisor in charge not only gave me permission, she encouraged it, and I had no reason to believe that this was against the rules,” Boyd reportedly said.

“Wilson told staff they could bring family members,” Jack reportedly said in a hearing before the Conflicts of Interest Board, where she settled her case for $1,200 due to financial hardship.

The report stated that Boyd took one daughter, Jack took two daughters, Castro took two sons, Ramos took two granddaughters, and Sylvester took two daughters on various trips.

When SCI began investigating, it says Wilson attempted to conceal the fraud by instructing her employees to keep it quiet or outright lie. She told her employees, “What happens here stays with us.”

One of the employees told the New York Post:

“She said everyone should stick to the same story that we did not take our children on the trip. She told us to lie to the investigators.” 

Even though the SCI did not refer the case for criminal prosecution, it did make strong recommendations to the DOE on how to handle the matter.

The report recommended that the DOE terminate all six employees and prohibit them from any future employment “with the DOE, within any of its facilities, or with any of its vendors.” It also suggested that the DOE pursue repayment “for all expenses incurred by the DOE on the part of those who wrongly benefitted from these actions.”

Following those recommendations, a New York City Public Schools spokesperson told the Post: “All staff identified in this report are no longer employed.”

“Taking money meant for homeless students is highly inappropriate,” said Naveed Hasan, a Manhattan public school parent and member of the city’s Panel for Educational Policy, which advocates for students in need of housing. “I’m shocked.”

I’m pleased that these individuals have been removed from their positions, but I believe they should have also faced criminal prosecution. The reported cost of the Disney World trip alone was approximately $66,000 for 50 people, including both adults and children.

In their report, the SCI stated that they chose not to refer the cases for criminal prosecution, citing “the lack of available documentation.” 

This is a new low for the left and proves that whenever liberals are involved, the cost of an oversight committee has to be factored in. Otherwise, greed and fraud will rule the day, even when homeless children are the victims.