Homeless Woman Prosecuted for Enrolling Son in School

[Truth2Tell]

From: The Lookout

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110422/us_yblog_thelookout/homeless-woman-prosecuted-for-enrolling-son-in-conn-school

Fri Apr 22, 4:13 pm ET
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.)


McDowell says she stayed in a Norwalk homeless shelter sometimes--but she didn't register there, which would have made her son eligible to attend the school.

"I had no idea whatsoever that if you enroll your child in another school district, it becomes a crime," the 33-year-old told the paper.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110422/us_yblog_thelookout/homeless-woman-prosecuted-for-enrolling-son-in-conn-school">More...

[Demit]

1. Oh. My. God. The Puritans are really back now, aren't they? Punishment! The wicked must be punished!

[peacetalksforall]

10. $15,000 or/and 20 years - a variation on witch burning and scarlet letters.

[villager]

2. Another school district looking out for the "best interests" of a child!

Throw that mother in jail...!

[Turbineguy]

3. They could probably buy her a house

for what it would cost to prosecute her and jail her. But doing something that made sense would end civilization as we know it.

[azurnoir]

6. ah but examples must be made ya know

can't have this kind of thing becoming common, people must know their place, why if we let parents put their kids in a better school than they can afford why strive the whole fabric of society could fall apart

take your choice it's all bullshit and so is what this town is doing

[corpseratemedia]

8. +1000

[iwishiwas]

4. Officals using some common sence would be better for all.

[LooseWilly]

5. So the property taxes that the rich don't want to pay still justify excluding others from schools...

this is so appalling that I just have to laugh.

:rofl:

[upi402]

7. Hobbesian country

wtf?

[Obamanaut]

9. Nearly 200 responses at this earlier thread ->

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=439&topic_id=918882

[Peace Patriot]

11. Jeez. nt

[Blue_Tires]

12. ironically, it's also a law in many states to have your kid enrolled in SOME school

until a certain age...