Delaware DOJ Fraud/Theft Prosecutions Since 2015

Last night, I sent an email to Delaware Attorney General Matt Denn about the ongoing problem in Delaware concerning fraud and theft of taxpayer funds in Delaware from various state agencies and organizations dependent on state funding.  Today, Sonia Augusthy, the head of the Civil Rights and Public Trust division sent me an email regarding my concerns.  She sent me a list of what that division has done since they were created in 2015.  I was shocked at the amount of names but since I primarily write about education, it is sad to see how rampant fraud and theft is across the state.  I was not away Shanna Simmens from Providence Creek Academy had been indicted and is awaiting prosecution.  This is the email sent to me from Sonia Augusthy:

Delaware Met, The Commitment To Stay One Year, & Good Cause To Pull Your Child Out

As parents have been trying to pull their children out of Delaware Met, some are being told they cannot because they signed an agreement to stay with the school for one year.  What they may not be telling the parents are certain circumstances that override this part of the charter school law.

From Title 14 of the Delaware Code, paragraph 402:

 (2) ”Good cause” shall mean a change in a child’s residence due to a change in family residence, a change in the state in which the family residence is located, a change in a child’s parent’s marital status, a change caused by a guardianship proceeding, placement of a child in foster care, adoption, participation by a child in a foreign exchange program, a reported and recorded instance of “bullying” against their child as defined in § 4112D of this title, or participation by a child in a substance abuse or mental health treatment program, or a set of circumstances consistent with this definition of “good cause.”

I would definitely say with what I am hearing about this school, there would be multiple circumstances that would allow a parent to utilize the “good cause” part of this law.  If any parent feels the school is violating the civil rights of their child, whether it is through discipline or special education treatment, please contact Allison Reardon at the Delaware Department of Justice.  She is in the Office of Civil Rights and Public Trust.  Her phone number is 302-577-5400.  The Attorney General’s office can not do anything if information is conveyed to them from a 3rd party.  They need to hear directly from parents or guardians, or even students.  If the school is pressuring parents to keep their children there, they may not be within the legal bounds to do so.

In the meantime, I want to thank the Delaware DOE and the Delaware DOJ for taking these concerns seriously.  Nothing is more paramount than the safety of our children.