Attorney General Wins $539,000 Judgment against Couple for Fraudulently Enrolling Children in DCPS

[Anonymous]

I copied this from a just-announced press release from the DC Office of the Attorney General:

WASHINGTON, D. C. – Attorney General Karl A. Racine announced today that the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has won a $539,000 judgment against a couple for fraudulently enrolling their three children in D.C. Public Schools (DCPS) while they lived in Maryland and Virginia. The decision comes in District of Columbia v. Hill, et al., 2015 CA 004210 B (D.C. Super. Ct.), a case the District first brought last year.
While residing at homes in Maryland and Virginia, Alan and Candace Hill avoided paying non-resident tuition for their children by providing a false D.C. address -- the address for an apartment unit that Alan Hill rented out to tenants -- on enrollment forms they submitted to DCPS. Two of their children attended DCPS from 2005 to 2013, and their third child attended DCPS from 2003 to 2013. At no point during this period did the Hills live in the District.
“D.C. taxpayers should not be subsidizing the education of children from other states,” Attorney General Racine said. “We will continue to investigate and prosecute those who falsely claim District residency in order to obtain government benefits to which they are not entitled.”
In her order granting a judgment for the District, Judge Ronna Lee Beck of D.C. Superior Court awarded the District $448,047 in “treble,” or triple, damages under the D.C. False Claims Act. She also awarded $74,219 for unjust enrichment and civil penalties totaling $16,500.
“I want to recognize the hard work of Assistant Attorney General Robert Rich as well as the extraordinary efforts of OAG Investigator Kenneth Algood and DCPS Investigator Resa Wynn, who gathered the extensive evidence needed to build a solid case against the Hills,” Attorney General Racine said.
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Since it began suing parents for non-resident-tuition fraud in 2012, OAG has obtained 24 monetary judgments and out-of-court settlements totaling $1,243,194. Most of these judgments and settlements are being collected through periodic payments or garnishments of wages.

[Anonymous]

Justice is served. I hope anyone who has poo-poo'd the seriousness oft the residency cheating problem (and they are many on this board) will re-read the words of our Attorney General (no racist or radical, he) for proof that cheating is fraud and must be punished with criminal sanctions.

Ward 9 cheatahs be shaking in boots today.

[Anonymous]

What does not make sense is why anyone would go to such lengths to send their kids to DC public schools when they have the option of either Maryland or Virginia schools.

Tripling the amount is excessive though. It should be the amount of "tuition" plus a fine per kid.

[Anonymous]

Wow, this is great news. I can't see the AG going after early childhood program address cheaters living in the burbs, but it sounds like momentum might now build for OSSE and the AG's office to go after the parents of older kids in DCPS who aren't paying DC taxes.

[Anonymous]

It is good they were prosecuted but triple damages seems a bit harsh. That is a ridiculous amount of money.

[Anonymous]

OP here: Both husband and wife are MPD officers: http://oag.dc.gov/release/attorney-general-files-suit-against-police-officers-who-claimed-false-district-residency

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:What does not make sense is why anyone would go to such lengths to send their kids to DC public schools when they have the option of either Maryland or Virginia schools.

Tripling the amount is excessive though. It should be the amount of "tuition" plus a fine per kid.

The parents are police officers and the kids attended Eaton, Deal, and Wilson which were all convenient to their work places.

[Anonymous]

Hilarious. Could have spent that money on private school. Hope they are happy with the education.

[Anonymous]

OP again: The False Claims Act allows DC to sue for 3X the amount. I live in Ward 8 and I use to to think it was just a problem in the highly sought after schools, no---I forgot that Pre-K 3 and 4 is free daycare, and proximity makes the cheating even more pervasive. I just found out one of my Summer Youth Employment Program workers is a Maryland resident, she's 20, pregnant and her mom recently passed. I honestly I feel bad for her.

[Anonymous]

Oh yeah, here's the link to the original complaint: http://oag.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/oag/release_content/attachments/Hill%20Complaint%20%28file%20stamped%29.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is good they were prosecuted but triple damages seems a bit harsh. That is a ridiculous amount of money.

They could have settled the case and probably paid less. No reason for the defendants to let it go as far as it did.

[Anonymous]

Not to mention they'll have to face a MPD trial board and possibly lose badge/pension. If one of them has the tenure, they would have been smart and retired already.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What does not make sense is why anyone would go to such lengths to send their kids to DC public schools when they have the option of either Maryland or Virginia schools.

Tripling the amount is excessive though. It should be the amount of "tuition" plus a fine per kid.

The parents are police officers and the kids attended Eaton, Deal, and Wilson which were all convenient to their work places.

Aren't those schools just middling to average when you compare them to Arlington, fcps & montgomery county schools?

I get what they did was illegal, but if it was truly about cops/commute, wouldn't it make sense for DC to have a program for law enforcement/fire department to be able to place theirkids in schools close to their precincts, perhaps for a small "tuition" fee? DC really needs good cops and fire/rescue workers. Their kids are likely the tyoe of students who would be assets to this failing school system, as would having law enforcement officers who were personally invested in the local schools being safe and effective due to their own kids attending the schools.

I still thik tripling the fine is ridiculous given the victimless nature of the crime.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What does not make sense is why anyone would go to such lengths to send their kids to DC public schools when they have the option of either Maryland or Virginia schools.

Tripling the amount is excessive though. It should be the amount of "tuition" plus a fine per kid.

Free PK3 and PK4 and convenience to the workplace on the commute. It makes a big difference dropping off your child and then commuting an hour versus drop off 15 mins away. Same on the way home. Every time this comes up I marvel at how dense the questioner must be. That or just insulated from the normal lives of commuters where both parents work (or the lives of single parrents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What does not make sense is why anyone would go to such lengths to send their kids to DC public schools when they have the option of either Maryland or Virginia schools.

Tripling the amount is excessive though. It should be the amount of "tuition" plus a fine per kid.

The parents are police officers and the kids attended Eaton, Deal, and Wilson which were all convenient to their work places.

Aren't those schools just middling to average when you compare them to Arlington, fcps & montgomery county schools?

I get what they did was illegal, but if it was truly about cops/commute, wouldn't it make sense for DC to have a program for law enforcement/fire department to be able to place theirkids in schools close to their precincts, perhaps for a small "tuition" fee? DC really needs good cops and fire/rescue workers. Their kids are likely the tyoe of students who would be assets to this failing school system, as would having law enforcement officers who were personally invested in the local schools being safe and effective due to their own kids attending the schools.

I still thik tripling the fine is ridiculous given the victimless nature of the crime.

No it would not make sense when those schools are bursting at the seems and plenty of other good students would love to attend.

The punishment fit the crime. Hope headlines like this become more frequent.