A new investigation reveals serious misuse of funds by employees at the New York City Department of Education (DOE). According to a report from the Special Commissioner of Investigation (SCI), six DOE workers used money intended for homeless students to finance personal vacations.
The employees reportedly used funds meant for educational trips to cover family excursions to destinations like Disney World, Washington, D.C., and New Orleans. Linda Wilson, a region manager for the DOE, is at the center of the scandal. The report alleges she used her position to take her daughters on city-funded trips and encouraged others to do the same.
Wilson allegedly forged documents to include family members on trips that were supposed to be for students. For example, a planned visit to Syracuse University in 2018 was changed to a visit to Niagara Falls instead. Syracuse University later confirmed that no such tour took place.
The investigation also uncovered that Wilson knew about the probe into these activities. She reportedly canceled a planned trip to Philadelphia and instructed her colleagues to lie to investigators, saying, “What happens here stays with us.”
Alongside Wilson, other accused employees include Program Manager Shaquieta Boyd, Family Assistants Joanne Castro, Mishawn Jack, Virgen Ramos, and Community Coordinator Maria Sylvester. The SCI completed its review in January 2023 and recommended firing the employees and recovering the misused funds. However, criminal prosecution was not pursued due to insufficient documentation.
This misuse of educational funds highlights a broader issue of corruption and misuse of taxpayer money, affecting those who need support the most.
