NYC public school employees who took families on trips meant for homeless children facing fines

Three former New York City public school staffers who took their families on trips intended for homeless students, from locations that included Broadway’s Wicked to Disney World, are facing fines for their actions.

The city’s Conflicts of Interest Board announced Monday the latest agreement with fired employees, who admitted to using program slots between 2016 and 2018 for their own kids and grandchildren. In total, the fines so far add up to $13,000 — a dollar amount that could grow if the city continues to settle with additional staffers.

The field trips — which could span multiple days and cover 30 to 60 homeless students each — were billed as “enrichment opportunities” or “incentives” for good attendance and other educational goals, according to the school system’s special commissioner of investigation.

But in a report released in September, the commissioner found a Queens regional manager, Linda Wilson, brought family on the excursions.

In settlements with the conflicts board, Maria Sylvester, Virgen Ramos and Mishawn Jack admitted to trips to Broadway and Rocking Horse Ranch Resort in New York; Washington, D.C.; and Florida’s Disney World, Universal Studios Orlando and the Kennedy Space Center, or some combination of the perks.

Both Sylvester and Jack in their dispositions alleged Wilson told chaperones they could bring family on their travels. Both paid less than the fines because of “financial hardship” after losing their city jobs.

Three more employees faced similar claims in the SCI report, including Wilson. The board has not announced settlements with them; Wilson denied the allegations to the New York Post, which first reported on the findings.

All travel managed by the public school system now has to go through a formal approval process, and a new operational support administrator has been tasked with reviewing trips and ensuring necessary safeguards.

“While this series of incidents precedes the current administration, this kind of behavior is unacceptable, and all staff identified in this report are no longer employed by New York City Public Schools,” said spokeswoman Jenna Lyle.

The number of homeless students in New York City public schools peaked in last school year, the second year in a row it reached an all-time high as immigrant families continued to seek asylum in the five boroughs. More than 146,000 schoolkids slept in shelters or in the overcrowded homes of friends and extended family, an annual count from Advocates for Children of New York shows.

“Our students in temporary housing deserve to have the supports they need, and when we were given the report from SCI, we acted immediately.”