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Edited by: TJVNews.com
An education advocate is calling for federal authorities to investigate and potentially pursue criminal charges against six New York City employees accused of using federal funds, meant for homeless students, to take their own children and grandchildren on lavish trips to Disney World and other destinations. According to The New York Post, Leonie Haimson, the executive director of Class Size Matters, has urged the U.S. Department of Education’s inspector general to probe what she describes as a case of “forgery and fraud.”
The controversy centers on Linda M. Wilson, 63, a Queens-based manager overseeing “students in temporary housing,” and five of her employees. As reported by The New York Post, Wilson and her colleagues allegedly used forged permission slips to facilitate trips to destinations like Disney World in Orlando, Washington, D.C., New Orleans, and the Rocking Horse Ranch Resort in upstate New York. Instead of homeless students benefiting from the excursions, Wilson and her team reportedly took their own sons, daughters, and grandchildren on these expensive outings.
Haimson, who has been a vocal advocate for educational reform and accountability, described the misuse of funds as a “criminal use of federal funds for homeless students.” According to The New York Post, Haimson formally requested a federal investigation into the alleged misappropriation of resources, writing to the U.S. Department of Education’s inspector general, the office responsible for investigating potential civil and criminal violations of federal funding.
The misuse of the $300,000 federal grant, which was allocated specifically to provide enrichment opportunities for homeless students, has sparked outrage. Haimson’s letter emphasized the need for swift and thorough accountability. “What happens here stays with us,” Wilson allegedly told her colleagues, according to The New York Post, in an attempt to cover up the misappropriated funds. Investigators cited this statement as part of their findings during an internal review of the case.
The trips, funded by the $300,000 grant, were intended to provide educational and supportive experiences for students facing the challenges of homelessness. However, according to The New York Post, the misuse of these funds for personal trips involving the employees’ family members has raised serious ethical and legal concerns. The federal grant is part of a broader effort to ensure homeless students receive the resources and experiences they need to thrive academically, and its alleged diversion has been met with calls for justice.
Haimson’s call for criminal charges underscores the gravity of the situation. As she wrote to federal authorities, the alleged actions of the NYC employees represent not just a breach of public trust but also a violation of federal law, given the forgery and fraudulent use of taxpayer dollars. The U.S. Department of Education’s inspector general is expected to investigate whether these actions warrant civil penalties, criminal charges, or both.
According to The New York Post, while the city’s Special Commissioner of Investigation (SCI) for schools did not refer the employees for criminal prosecution, citing a “lack of available documentation,” advocates argue that the decision overlooks critical evidence presented in the SCI’s own report.
Despite the SCI’s failure to refer the case for prosecution, Haimson strongly criticized the decision. According to The New York Post, Haimson pointed out that the SCI report itself references “much documentary evidence, including witness statements, dozens of photographs, and falsified permission slips.” She argues that this evidence should be more than sufficient to warrant criminal charges and federal investigation into the misuse of funds.
The alleged misappropriation of funds has sparked outrage, not just for the misuse of resources intended for vulnerable students, but also due to the lack of transparency from the DOE. According to The New York Post, the DOE has remained tight-lipped regarding the specific costs of these out-of-town trips for homeless students or how they were funded. DOE spokeswoman Nicole Brownstein declined to provide details about whether any of the employees involved had repaid the stolen funds but confirmed that all six individuals either “terminated, resigned, or voluntarily retired” in response to the SCI investigation.
Wilson, who collected nearly $98,000 in city paychecks last year, told The New York Post that she had retired, denying any wrongdoing. She also refuted the claim that she took her daughters on the trips, despite evidence presented in the investigation indicating otherwise. Wilson’s denial, coupled with her retirement, has further fueled public frustration, as questions remain about how the case was handled internally by the DOE and whether justice will ultimately be served.
The controversy has raised broader concerns about the DOE’s oversight and management of federally funded programs, especially those designed to support at-risk populations such as homeless students. The lack of criminal referrals and the absence of clear restitution measures have prompted calls for stronger accountability measures to ensure that public funds are used appropriately.
Haimson’s decision to escalate the issue by calling for federal authorities to investigate highlights the seriousness of the allegations. According to The New York Post, Haimson described the situation as “forgery and fraud” involving the misappropriation of the federal grant.
As the investigation continues to unfold, the DOE’s handling of the case and its lack of transparency have come under increased scrutiny. Many are now questioning the safeguards in place to prevent such abuses in the future and whether any broader systemic issues within the DOE allowed this misconduct to go undetected for so long.
While the six employees are no longer with the department, the absence of clear consequences in the form of criminal charges or financial restitution has left many calling for a deeper investigation into how the funds were handled and what steps will be taken to prevent further misuse of resources intended for New York City’s most vulnerable students.
