Rockland Community College Professor Is Accused of Stealing More than $200,000 from the School and his Union

Clifford Garner, 61, of Hackensack, NJ, is accused of theft from Rockland Community College and the college’s Federation of Teachers, the union chapter that he heads.

• One count of Grand Larceny in the Second Degree, a class “C” Felony

• One count of Grand Larceny in the Third Degree, a class “D”” Felony

• One count of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, a class “E” Felony

• One count of Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree, a class “E” Felony

Garner is not only an English professor at Rockland Community College in Suffern but also president of the Rockland Community College Federation of Teachers.

Rockland County District Attorney Thomas P. Zugibe alleged that between January 2010 and June 2014, Garner stole more than $200,000 from the Rockland Community College Federation of Teachers.

Also, Garner is alleged to have submitted documentation to Rockland Community College, falsely claiming to have made certain work‐related expenditures, and receiving more than $3,000 from the school.

“In so doing, he is accused of violating his own professional ethics, damaging the public’s trust in his union and the students’ confidence in the college,” Zugibe said in a press release.

Garner’s arrest is the result of an investigation conducted by the Rockland County District Attorney’s Special Investigations Unit. Supervising Assistant District Attorney Richard Kennison Moran is prosecuting the case.

Garner was scheduled to be arraigned at the Town of Ramapo Justice Court Nov. 18.

If convicted, he faces up to fifteen years in state prison.

It should be noted that a criminal complaint is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty, the DA’s office said.