Woonsocket! Demand School Committee Investigation!

The Woonsocket School Committee voted NOT to have the Rhode Island State Police conduct an investigation as to the possible misappropriation of funds and criminal conduct that has resulted in a $10,000,000 city deficit over a two year period. We are calling upon the State Police to conduct a full investigation on behalf of the residents of the city of Woonsocket.

We are currently aquiring evidence that shows probable cause to be presented along with this petition to the Rhode Island State Police. If you have any factual information that may be of use in our effort or if you would like to sign the petition online you can contact us at [email protected]

Some of the evidence is as follows:

Audio file that can be heard on Mywoonsocket.com entitled:

Audio Clip of
Mayor Fontaine & Stacy Busby
at Public Meeting with
City Council and School Committee
Dec. 8, 2011

This audio clip suggests that positions were added to the Woonsocket school system during the fiscal year that were not budgeted for and they were relying on grants to pay for these positions. If the grants did not go through, these new positions fell back on the general operating budget. The cost of the new positions was approximately $2.1 million. The School committee is required to approve any new positions that are added to the school department. It is suggested that this was never done.

The following is the draft of the letter that was to be sent to the Superintendent Steven O'Donnel of the Rhode Island State Police if the School Committee had voted yes to call for an investigation.
This letter was written by School Committee Member Chris Roberts.

March 28, 2012
Colonel Steven G. O’Donnell
Superintendent
Rhode Island State Police
311 Danielson Pike
North Scituate, RI 02857
Colonel O’Donnell:

We write to you today as the Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police requesting you launch an immediate investigation into two very serious issues.

No doubt you have heard through the news that the Woonsocket Education Department is in financial turmoil. As we cope with a recently discovered deficit, what is most troubling is questions remain as to whether or not the Woonsocket School Committee was being provided with the full and accurate financial condition of the District, or if important data was being manipulated and/or falsely presented. A quick review of the minutes and audio of official, public meetings lends one to question, and we call upon the full investigative resources of the State Police to assist in making a determination if Rhode Island General Laws have been violated. As you can see below, there is a liability for school officers who engage in misconduct. If there was a misappropriation of Federal, State, and City funds based on ‘false certificates,’ there should be swift and appropriate action as outlined in the law.

§ 16-38-9 Liability of school officers for misconduct. – Every school officer who shall make any false certificate, or appropriate any public school money to any purpose not authorized by law, or who shall refuse for a reasonable charge to give certified copies of any official paper, or to account for or deliver to his or her successor any accounts, papers, or money in his or her hands, or shall willfully or knowingly refuse to perform any duty of his or her office, or violate any provisions of any law regulating public schools, except where a particular penalty may be prescribed, shall be fined not exceeding five hundred dollars ($500) or be imprisoned not exceeding six (6) months, and shall be liable to an action of the case for damages to be brought by any person injured by this violation.

Second, there have been accusations that the contract for employment of a former employee of the District was modified without the consent of the School Committee. The possibility exists that someone changed a page of the contract of employment after having been signed by the then Chairman of the Woonsocket School Committee. This is a truly serious and troubling thought and again, your expertise in investigating these matters is urgently requested.

If either or both of these scenarios are true, they represent illegal behavior and a violation of the public trust by appointed school officials. The truth must be discovered, and in the event of any illegal behavior, those responsible must be brought to justice. Your investigative experience and ability to subpoena (if necessary) are tools not at our disposal alone. The Woonsocket School Committee offers its full cooperation on these matters, and looks forward to your immediate involvement.

This motion was originally introduced by Anita Mcguire Forcier (School Committee Chair) and supported by Chris Roberts (School Committee Member) which was voted down 3-2.