Complaints of fraudulent behavior by city department employees have skyrocketed, but the agencies responsible for investigating only open a few cases each year, records show.
Special committee members of the city's school investigation introduced the highest ever record of alleged misconduct by educators and other school workers and vendors in 2024, but launched only 484 people or 4% of probes. 2024 Annual Report.
“It certainly requires more money to investigate, but I don't know if the administration is determined about it. They're not really,” said Councilman Robert Holden, who called for a federal investigation into “deep-rooted fraud” at DOE.
“The system actually encourages corruption because if you're caught, nothing will happen,” he said.
The results of the SCI findings result in the number of private DOE employees being fired or resigned, but Holden noted that some defendant educators and exiled principals will be paid indefinitely to neglected idle in the office or at home.
An example is:
– After two years of SCI investigation, Khurshid Abdul-Mutakabbir was expelled as principal of Maspeth High School in 2022, following a report on fraudulent planning to increase school graduation rates. On a lover's contract, DOE agreed not to fire him, not to fire him for seven years until he retired in 2029, and to maintain his salary on paid leave, holidays and benefits. He made $207,418 last year alone.
– Aneatha Swinton, convicted of car insurance fraud in 2018, was removed as principal of Port Richmond HS, but maintained her salary despite what Sci called her “pattern of fraud.” She inappropriately poured $100,000 with school funds into vendors, and 600 DOE computers, printers and laptops “cannot be protected” disappeared under the clock, investigators found. She raised $219,245 last year.
– Joseph Canzonelli, a teacher at Townsend Harris HS, took the former female student to an apartment where she kept wine and marijuana before having sex and oral sex. The SCI recommended that Kanzonelli be fired, but the former student refused to get a job. When the student journalists returned to school, Kanzonelli was launched but maintained her city salary. He raised $140,794 last year.
Critics suggest that like their predecessors who control the city's schools, they are not eager to expose theft, fraud, and abuse, or to oppose the UFT and CSA, politically powerful teacher-president unions, or defend members accused of fraud.
The SCI, led by Anastasia Coleman since 2018, has rejected criticism that it has become too easy at City Hall.
In late 2019, the Sci whistleblower sent anonymous complaints to three city council members. his wife, Chirlane McCray; Then Prime Minister Richard Carranza and top aide. The hearing on the allegations was cancelled when the Covid-19 pandemic was hit. Coleman refused to “slow walking” the probe.
The unions, namely the UFT and CSA, will “control the state legislature” and will undoubtedly affect the city's suppressed enthusiasm for exposing corruption, agreed Mayor Mike Bloomberg's former vice-prime minister Eric Nadelsteln.
SCI's annual budget is $6.3 million. It's 0.02% of DOE's incredible $39 billion budget. The CSI has 55 staff, including 33 investigators, to eradicate crime, corruption and sexual abuse in its 140,000 employee DOE.
The mayor's administration has not increased its Watchdog budget for five years.
“I don't have a reason, but I don't think people want to be investigated,” Councilman Gale Brewer told the post. She urged City Hall to guide more funds to SCI.
Last year, SCI conducted 146 inappropriate or sexual misconduct investigations.
DOE employees and 43 cases demonstrated the claims.
In 32 cases, SCI identified more than $1 million in losses, thefts, or mismanagement, but could not say how much money the DOE had recovered. The incident involved six employees who “falsified permission” taking their children and grandchildren on Disney World and other trips for homeless students.
SCI helped the city's district attorney bring criminal charges against accused DOE employees Steal funds from the school.
This week, Special Commissioner Coleman joined the federal prosecutors in Manhattan and announced the resulting joint investigation Guilty pleas by multiple education consultants It was involved in a bid rigging scheme that deceived a DOE of an estimated $141,511.
The SCI also serves as an inspector of the NYC Teacher Retirement System, another DOE pension plan, and the investigative unit of the city's conflict of interest committee.
“SCI is a key watchdog in New York City and its mission is to protect children from harm and ensure the effective operation of the school district,” Coleman said in its annual report.
DOE employees must report misconduct to DOE. Other complaints come from parents, vendors, other agencies and elected officials. Sci has selected the “most serious” cases of “most serious misconduct” for investigation, Coleman testified.
The SCI sends many complaints back to the DOE. DOE has its own research department, the Special Research Bureau.
“Many requests received by SCIs are not raised to a level that requires investigation or have been referred to external agencies,” said spokesman Jason Brooks.
In 2019, SCI looked at 695 (7.2%) out of 9,638 complaints. The rate fell to a 3.5% low in 2022, but has since risen.
Brooks defended the 4% survey rate as “almost standard” for inspector generals in NYC and elsewhere.
In comparison, last year the city's Bureau of Investigation opened 14,816 complaints, or 5.8% of 868 probes. Annual Report say. However, DOI had a much larger budget for 2024, with $56,184,808 and another ten times more investigators.347
City Hall did not respond when asked why it wasn't boosting SCI's budget or staffing.
