Education officials in NYC cheat homeless students out of trip to Disney World, take their own kids

Education officials in New York have left homeless students out of elaborate “enrichment” trips while taking their own children and grandchildren instead.

The shameful finding is just one from a years-long investigation by the Special Commissioner of Investigation for the New York City School District (SCI).

In its recently released report, SCI alleges 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 own children instead – robbing homeless students out of trips that cost tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars. 

“Few of the homeless students listed on the paperwork actually attended the trips,” one whistleblower told SCI.  

Trips to Disney World, Washington, D.C., New Orleans and other destinations were meant to serve as “enrichment opportunities” and as rewards for good attendance or academics for homeless students in the district. 

The Disney World trip alone reportedly cost $66,000 for the approximately 50 participants, including adults and children. 

Investigators say Queens Regional Manager Linda M. Wilson regularly took one or two of her daughters with her on the trips – despite regulations prohibiting family members from attending even if they reimburse the DOE for their expenses. 

Wilson earned an annual salary of $99,726 from the DOE according to the most recent report. 

Investigators say she also encouraged several of her employees – Program Manager Shaquieta Boyd, Family Assistant Joanne Castro, Family Assistant Mishawn Jack, Family Assistant Virgen Ramos and Community Coordinator Maria Sylvester – to do the same. 

“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,” the report concluded. 

While Boyd and Jack were subsequently fired, they both argued they had done nothing wrong because Wilson, their supervisor, told them it was OK. 

“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, at which she settled her case for $1,200 due to financial hardship.  

According to the report, Boyd took one daughter, Jack took two daughters, Castro took two sons, Ramos took two granddaughters and Sylvester took two daughters on various trips. 

Arguably making matters worse, when SCI began investigating, it says Wilson tried to cover up the fraud by asking her employees to keep it quiet or flat out lie. “What happens here stays with us,” she reportedly told her employees. 

“She said everyone should stick to the same story that we did not take our children on the trip,” one of the employees confirmed to the New York Post. “She told us to lie to the investigators.” 

Ultimately, SCI chose not to refer the cases for criminal prosecution, citing “the lack of available documentation,” a spokesperson said. 

However, it recommended the DOE fire all six employees and bar them from any future employment “with the DOE, within any of its facilities, or with any of its vendors.” It also recommended the DOE seek restitution “for all expenses incurred by the DOE on the part of those who wrongly benefitted from these actions.” 

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

Meanwhile, the scandal has left some in the community in a state of disbelief. 

“Taking money meant for homeless students is extremely 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.”