Homeless woman prosecuted for enrolling son in Conn. school

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   Stacie Lposted 7 years ago

   By Liz Goodwin
   
   Connecticut authorities have filed theft charges against Tanya McDowell, a homeless woman, alleging that she used a false address to enroll her son in a higher-income school district, The Stamford Advocate reports. If she's convicted, McDowell may end up in jail for as many as 20 years and pay a $15,000 fine for the crime.
   
   McDowell is a homeless single mother from Bridgeport who used to work in food services, is now at the center of one of the very few false address cases in the Norwalk, CT, school district that is being handled in criminal court--rather than between the parent and school. Authorities are accusing McDowell of enrolling her 5-year-old son in nearby Norwalk schools by using the address of a friend. (Her friend has also been evicted from public housing for letting McDowell use her address.)
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   http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookou … onn-school
   
   anyone that works in education can tell you that this sort of thing happens all the time...I think 20 years in prison is a too harsh...even though she did commit fraud, she wanted the best for her son.
   being homeless is punishing enough..

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      Maembeposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      Good thing this vicious criminal is off the streets.  I feel much safer now.

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      james_foreclosureposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      wow... that's amazing. i think there needs to be some sort of exemption in these types of cases or clause that let's them attend the school that they choose to. after all, their trying to better their child's future which is especially important for a homeless child and may shape and change them into a successful person and avert future homelessness in their family.

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   John Holdenposted 7 years ago

   Ah, America the land of the free, and the land of opportunity!

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