Syracuse, N.Y. -- The Syracuse school district’s administration knew about no-show teachers and no-show classes in the Twilight program, but did nothing to stop the fraud because it pumped up Henninger High School’s struggling graduation rate, according to a recently unsealed federal lawsuit.
The lawsuit, filed by whistleblower and district employee Colleen Jackson, details how she found out about the faked timecards and empty classes in the Twilight program at Henninger and reported them to district administrators. The program is aimed at helping at-risk students graduate by holding school during nontraditional hours. It is funded through federal grants.
Two teachers, Jason Cecile and Nichole Murray, recently pleaded guilty to their role in the fraud, and agreed to repay a total of $31,872.
Jackson does not name Cecile, whose father, David Cecile, was on the city school board at the time the scheme was discovered. Jackson sued Murray and Tina DeCarlo, who has been charged but whose case is still pending. Jackson also sued the district, saying it retaliated against her when she exposed the fraud, passing her over for promotions.
All three district employees have continued to be paid while the case has been pending. Cecile has been paid $80,642; DeCarlo has been paid $87,334 and Murray has been paid $76,564 while they were out on administrative leave.
Jackson’s lawsuit was filed in 2019, but just recently unsealed following Cecile and Murray’s plea deal.
In the lawsuit,...
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