NYC school staff caught using homeless students' funds on Disney World trip

On September 18, 2024, Times New World released a report detailing an authority figure who forged major documents in order to secure a free visit to Disney World. The report indicated that Linda Wilson, the regional manager for the Queens branch of the office that assists students living in temporary housing, took her family on a trip to the park/resort using funds meant for outings for homeless students to the location.

Additionally, it was reported that Wilson was not the only person in authority to take this step. Allegedly, she encouraged other staff members to follow her example, leading several other employees connected to the organization to take their family members to the resort, resulting in a widespread case of forgery.

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New York school staff allegedly fired for misusing funds aimed at sponsoring Disney World trips for homeless students

Workers who misused organization funds were allegedly fired (Image via Getty)

As mentioned earlier, Linda Wilson, a staff member of an organization in New York City that helps homeless students, was involved in forgery. She falsified documents concerning the financial resources allocated through grants meant for homeless students. These funds were intended to finance trips to Disney World for children in need.

However, instead, she used this money to take her own children on trips. To make matters worse she also urged her other employees to do the same which resulted in at least six employees from the organization taking their children or grandchildren to Disney World, New Orleans, and other locations of the the resort.

According to the special commissioner of investigation for New York City schools, Anastasia Coleman, the funds were not just allocated for Disney World trips but also trips to other popular locations across the United States including Washington, Washington D.C., and Boston. Additionally, a section of the funds was also allocated to finance tickets to Broadway shows.

Wilson denies being fired from her job following the allegations (Image via Getty)

Soon after the matter was publicized, Jenna Lyle, spokesperson of the Department of Education said in a statement:

“All staff identified in this report are no longer employed by New York City Public Schools.”

Lyle's remarks caused many people to think that Wilson and the others lost their jobs after the events were made public. However, Wilson insisted that this was not true. In a statement to the New York Post on September 21, Wilson denied the allegations of being fired and refuted the claims by saying that she had retired instead. She also claimed that she did not take her daughters on Disney World trips or did anything wrong.

However, DOE spokeswoman Nicole Brownstein mentioned in a comment on September 20, 2024, which was published by the New York Post on September 21, that based on the reports collected from the Special Commissioner of Investigation for city schools, all six people who were indicted in the case were either "terminated, resigned, or voluntarily retired."

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Were the people involved in the Disney scam penalized by law?

Wilson and the others were not tried for their acts (Image via Getty)

The New York Post in its September 21, 2024, article mentioned that Wilson and the others were not asked to monetarily compensate the organization or the government for the forgery due to the lack of evidence in the matter.

However, the executive director of Class Size Matters, Leonie Haimson mentioned to the publication that the CSI had access to “much documentary evidence, including witness statements, dozens of photographs, and falsified permission slips", which could help in their sentencing.

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As time goes on, new developments about the case continue to emerge. In the near future, it is likely that the public will be presented with a completely different version of the story that is currently circulating.