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    Education advocate calls for criminal charges against NYC staff who took own kids to Disney World on trips meant for homeless students

    By Susan Edelman,

    5 days ago

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0YJeD0_0vezGr0g00

    Federal officials should consider criminal charges against six NYC employees who took their own kids and grandkids to Disney World and on other costly trips meant for homeless students, an education advocate is urging authorities.

    “This appears to be a criminal use of federal funds for homeless students, involving forgery and fraud,” said Leonie Haimson, executive director of Class Size Matters.

    As first reported by The Post, Linda M. Wilson, a Queens manager of “students in temporary housing,” and five employees she supervised used “forged permission slips” to take their daughters, sons and grandkids to the Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Washington, D.C., New Orleans, and upstate Rocking Horse Ranch Resort, among multiple locales.

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3LMnhn_0vezGr0g00
    Linda M. Wilson, a Queens manager of “students in temporary housing,” and five employees she supervised used “forged permission slips” to take their daughters, sons and grandkids to vacation trips across the country. Getty Images

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    “What happens here stays with us,” Wilson allegedly told her colleagues in what investigators called a cover-up.

    Haimson said she wrote last week to the US. Department of Education’s inspector general, the office charged with investigating civil and criminal violations of federal funding, to call for a probe.

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    Employees said a $300,000 federal grant was used to fund the trips.

    The city’s Special Commissioner of Investigation for city schools did not refer the employees for criminal prosecution.

    A spokesperson cited a “lack of available documentation.”

    https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0l9Gfx_0vezGr0g00
    Wilson allegedly told her co-workers, “What happens here stays with us.” Facebook Linda Wilson

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    But Haimson noted the SCI’s report cites “much documentary evidence, including witness statements, dozens of photographs, and falsified permission slips.”

    The city Department of Education would not answer questions about the cost of out-of-town trips for homeless kids, or explain how they are funded.

    DOE spokeswoman Nicole Brownstein also refused to say whether any employee paid restitution, but confirmed Friday that all six cited by the SCI were “ terminated, resigned, or voluntarily retired.”

    Wilson, 63, who collected $97,700 in city paychecks last school year, told The Post she retired.

    She denied taking her daughters on trips and any other wrongdoing.

    For the latest metro stories, top headlines, breaking news and more, visit nypost.com/metro/

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    Comments / 103
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    guest
    2d ago
    say stop now stop say have do that take needle be girl stop guy after say not no don't that old say repeat do saying
    Dianne Melendez Associate Real Estate Broker
    2d ago
    This is disgraceful
    View all comments
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