My story: Accused of Residency Fraud

[Anonymous]

I feel your pain, OP. All it takes is one or two aggressive (and unhappy) busybodies in a school community for this sort of thing to happen. We were also investigated a few years back, which upset us a lot initially. But were were cleared quickly and easily after submitting documents to OSSE and put the bad experience behind us. You may find, as we did, that being investigated actually improves things for you - the rumor mill lacks grist when you have a letter in a file stating that you were cleared. THe skunks then look for a new target.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, presumably the counselor and social worker would know what your family was going through because you would have/should have told them. In which case, when step one happened, OSSE contacted the school, the whole thing would have been explained and the investigation would have gone no further.

Did you not tell the school of your temporary change in address when it happened?

I disagree. OP removed her kids from the situation. She may have had private therapist for the kids. Certainly, she had financial means of living in an Air BNB for that long. No need to inform the new school unless there was a behavioral or academic concern. Even kids deserve a fresh start without preconceptions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel your pain, OP. All it takes is one or two aggressive (and unhappy) busybodies in a school community for this sort of thing to happen. We were also investigated a few years back, which upset us a lot initially. But were were cleared quickly and easily after submitting documents to OSSE and put the bad experience behind us. You may find, as we did, that being investigated actually improves things for you - the rumor mill lacks grist when you have a letter in a file stating that you were cleared. THe skunks then look for a new target.

Does this mean that anyone who reports residency fraud is an aggressive or unhappy busy body? I get that it can be tough to be questioned, but is the answer that no one should report?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, presumably the counselor and social worker would know what your family was going through because you would have/should have told them. In which case, when step one happened, OSSE contacted the school, the whole thing would have been explained and the investigation would have gone no further.

Did you not tell the school of your temporary change in address when it happened?

I disagree. OP removed her kids from the situation. She may have had private therapist for the kids. Certainly, she had financial means of living in an Air BNB for that long. No need to inform the new school unless there was a behavioral or academic concern. Even kids deserve a fresh start without preconceptions.

+1 My DC based friend was in a car accident and was assigned a loaner car with Virginia plates while it was repaired. It's disturbing that some nosy parents with so much time on their hands would report a family based on that level of (non) evidence.

[Anonymous]

I can't stand the current please-snitch-on-other-parents system. What I push for with OSSE is a much higher documents bar to enroll in a by-right school in-boundary. I've made this point at public hearings.

If we could have come in with the stack of residency docs we had to provide under investigation at the get go, presumably we never would have been investigated, or stressed out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can't stand the current please-snitch-on-other-parents system. What I push for with OSSE is a much higher documents bar to enroll in a by-right school in-boundary. I've made this point at public hearings.

If we could have come in with the stack of residency docs we had to provide under investigation at the get go, presumably we never would have been investigated, or stressed out.

Yup. This. Would eliminate the whole problem.

NYC asks for 2 pieces of residential ID

https://www.schools.nyc.gov/docs/default-source/default-document-library/pre-registration-checklist_english

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can't stand the current please-snitch-on-other-parents system. What I push for with OSSE is a much higher documents bar to enroll in a by-right school in-boundary. I've made this point at public hearings.

If we could have come in with the stack of residency docs we had to provide under investigation at the get go, presumably we never would have been investigated, or stressed out.

Couldn't agree more. "Inform on your neighbors" is the worst possible way to run any government program.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't stand the current please-snitch-on-other-parents system. What I push for with OSSE is a much higher documents bar to enroll in a by-right school in-boundary. I've made this point at public hearings.

If we could have come in with the stack of residency docs we had to provide under investigation at the get go, presumably we never would have been investigated, or stressed out.

Yup. This. Would eliminate the whole problem.

NYC asks for 2 pieces of residential ID

https://www.schools.nyc.gov/docs/default-source/default-document-library/pre-registration-checklist_english

Also, for people who are staying with people or subletting, you fill this in:

https://www.schools.nyc.gov/docs/default-source/default-document-library/parent-affidavit-of-residency-english

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I feel your pain, OP. All it takes is one or two aggressive (and unhappy) busybodies in a school community for this sort of thing to happen. We were also investigated a few years back, which upset us a lot initially. But were were cleared quickly and easily after submitting documents to OSSE and put the bad experience behind us. You may find, as we did, that being investigated actually improves things for you - the rumor mill lacks grist when you have a letter in a file stating that you were cleared. THe skunks then look for a new target.

Does this mean that anyone who reports residency fraud is an aggressive or unhappy busy body? I get that it can be tough to be questioned, but is the answer that no one should report?

I'm not OP, but I would propose that the level of evidence for one parent to snitch on another should be much higher than an out of state license plate (given the reasons that have been discussed ad nauseum on this forum of nannies, parents with shared custody, grandparents etc. doing drop off).

[Anonymous]

If the city did its due diligence there wouldn't need to be vigilante parents. But since the city won't do its job protecting taxpayer money, citizens will. Simple.

[Anonymous]

I had to read this about 3 times to figure out how you were so clearly "not a cheater" -- honestly, it all sounds sketchy to me. What you've been through sounds terrible though regardless. You have bigger things to worry about, try not to let this get to you because you were cleared!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If the city did its due diligence there wouldn't need to be vigilante parents. But since the city won't do its job protecting taxpayer money, citizens will. Simple.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think previous posters don't understood why OP is upset and angry, but I do think they take issue with the OP's implication that suspicion of residency fraud shouldn't be reported because it might hurt others. People who report suspected residency fraud aren't typically trying to hurt someone, they are trying to protect spots in DC schools for DC residents.

It is one thing to report someone to OSSE and keep it to yourself, letting the chips fall where they may.

It is quite another to gossip with other people about whether they too suspect Suzy isn't a DC resident and/or to take pictures and FOLLOW HER CAR HOME.

YES THIS IS CRAZY and I hate all those parents too on your behalf.

There is nothing worse than running afoul of busybody parents who would rather make you feel uncomfortable and judged than just ask openly what's happening in your life. Someone could just say that it looks like you got a new car. Are we to report every MD car - AND follow them home????

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had to read this about 3 times to figure out how you were so clearly "not a cheater" -- honestly, it all sounds sketchy to me. What you've been through sounds terrible though regardless. You have bigger things to worry about, try not to let this get to you because you were cleared!

How is she a cheater? Because she has a rental car?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, I think most parents aren't what the OP describes. I understand that she's clearly gone through a terrible time and anyone who followed her and took pictures of her was in the wrong (and potentially committed harassment/stalking), but I wonder if she's "seeing" for "feeling" behavior that isn't happening because of the trauma that she's had to deal with. Most parents I know don't have the time to wage some sort of campaign against people they think might not live in DC. Even if the possibility is discussed once or twice, it never goes further than that and kids and their families are not excluded because of any such possibility.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't think previous posters don't understood why OP is upset and angry, but I do think they take issue with the OP's implication that suspicion of residency fraud shouldn't be reported because it might hurt others. People who report suspected residency fraud aren't typically trying to hurt someone, they are trying to protect spots in DC schools for DC residents.

It is one thing to report someone to OSSE and keep it to yourself, letting the chips fall where they may.

It is quite another to gossip with other people about whether they too suspect Suzy isn't a DC resident and/or to take pictures and FOLLOW HER CAR HOME.

I agree that the one person who followed her and took pictures went too far, but if parents at a school suspect a family of residency fraud they are going to talk about it - if for no other reason than to verify that their suspicions may be valid and thus merit reporting in the first place. I don't think gossiping about others is acceptable, but that is the world we live in. Chances are if one other family noticed a possible residency cheat, others did too. For sometime now there is has been great suspicion that OSSE is dropping the ball regarding residency fraud. While I do not think other parents have any right to know the outcome of a possible investigation, it is not unreasonable to continue to worry that residency fraud is occurring if you don't believe OSSE has done anything about it.

Gossiping about one of your kid's schoolmates with other parents is really bad (whether it is about where they live, about their parents who seem weird, whether the kid has some sort of disability, whatever). You do NOT need to validate your own suspicions with others. Own your own decision.

And regarding what's 'reasonable' -- it is unreasonable to continue to worry after you report it. You report it and if nothing happens you need to assume that they were able to prove they were residents and you exhale.

I don't know. I'm going to assume this school is a JKLM? Parents do seem to have such time on their hands for this over there. Not any where else. Another -1 for Upper NW.