Schools
UPDATE: East Ramapo School Officials React to Fake Tuition Reimbursement Letter
A hoax targeting tensions between the district and its large religious-school community creates a fake state program.
A bizarre hoax circulating around the East Ramapo school district is aimed at the sensitive and controversial issue of the large number of children, mostly from Hasidic families, who attend yeshivas instead of the public schools.
On a facsimile of district letterhead, it purports to offer parents the chance to be in a lottery to have $3,500 sent to each of their children’s private schools.
The hoax says the money would be distributed under a fake state-run program for residents of districts in financial crisis.
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Filled with misspellings and typographical errors, it also fabricates a hearing in Albany—on the same day as the school district budget vote, May 19.
It names an actual district official, a member of the district’s 8-person Office of Special Student Services; but it mis-names the community’s state senator; cites a made-up East Ramapo Committee; and is signed by a fictitious employee.
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The phony letter has a purported date of March 17; however, district officials began getting questions about it on Monday, spokeswoman Taryn Duffy said.
“Parents are contacting us, how do they get the money?” Schools Superintendent Joel Klein told The Journal News.
“It has come to my attention that a letter is being sent out to parents and teachers of the East Ramapo School district about an event that I am allegedly attending,“ State Sen. David Carlucci (D-New City) said in a written statement. “The letter, event and any involvement from my office is completely false and should be disregarded.”
Here is the district’s full statement:
We have been made aware of a letter circulating in the district that purports to represent the East Ramapo schools.
This letter, dated March 17th , is on the matter of “Private School Education Reimbursement hearing.”
This letter is a hoax.
There is no such hearing. There is no such program. The information contained in the letter is wholly false and fabricated.
Parents should disregard the letter.
We have referred the matter to the proper authorities for investigation and appropriate action.
Catherine Russell
District Clerk
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