Detail Alleged School Ripoffs By Principal

Detail Alleged School Ripoffs By Principal

By HOWARD MEGDAL

A city Principal admitted to stealing more than $10,000 from the Department of Education using falsified reimbursement forms, according to a report issued by the Special Commissioner of Investigation.

Joanne Pierre, who was arrested last month and charged with grand larceny, submitted the forms while serving as Principal at the Rachel Carson School for Coastal Studies, as well as during her previous job as a Curriculum Instructional Specialist for District 79.

A $3,000 Alteration

Ms. Pierre allegedly submitted the same expenditure multiple times, requested reimbursements for expenses she hadn't incurred or which were paid by others, and repeatedly altered legitimate reimbursements for more money. For instance, Local Instructional Superintendent Doreen Coakley signed off on an expense of $69.97; Ms. Pierre submitted the altered form for $3,069.97.

On another occasion, Ms. Pierre submitted a $512 bill from John's Pizza four different times - and the bill had been paid already by a parent.

Ms. Pierre admitted to fraud in a March signed statement. Special Commissioner Richard J. Condon recommended Ms. Pierre's immediate termination and placement on DOE's ineligible list, and a spokeswoman for DOE indicated that the department planned to quickly do so.

Ms. Pierre had been reassigned to the Regional office when DOE was notified of the investigation, though she never showed up.

Her union, the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators, declined to comment on the report.

Students protested Ms. Pierre's suspension on April 28 at the high school. A Guidance Counselor, Yvonne Robinson, who helped students during the demonstration was charged with inciting a riot, though her union, the United Federation of Teachers, said she was protecting demonstrators from overzealous School Safety Agents.