Thread: Homeless woman prosecuted for enrolling son in Conn. school

By Liz Goodwin liz Goodwin
1 hr 57 mins ago


Connecticut authorities have filed theft charges against Tanya McDowell, a homeless woman, alleging that she used a false address to enroll her son in a higher-income school district, The Stamford Advocate reports. If she's convicted, McDowell may end up in jail for as many as 20 years and pay a $15,000 fine for the crime.

McDowell is a homeless single mother from Bridgeport who used to work in food services, is now at the center of one of the very few false address cases in the Norwalk, CT, school district that is being handled in criminal court--rather than between the parent and school. Authorities are accusing McDowell of enrolling her 5-year-old son in nearby Norwalk schools by using the address of a friend. (Her friend has also been evicted from public housing for letting McDowell use her address.)


McDowell says she stayed in a Norwalk homeless shelter sometimes--but she didn't register there, which would have made her son eligible to attend the school.

"I had no idea whatsoever that if you enroll your child in another school district, it becomes a crime," the 33-year-old told the paper.

An education advocacy group, Connecticut Parents Union, is holding a fundraiser to help McDowell pay the possible fine.

The case is attracting some national attention in the education world, as it's similar to the headline-making story of Ohio mom Kelley Williams-Bolar, who spent days in jail after using her father's address to send her kids to a better-performing school. Her story ignited a debate about inequalities in the public school system.

"One woman has been evicted, another could go to jail and all because a little boy went to school in a district where he sometimes lives," education writer Joanne Jacobs said of the case. The blog DropOut Nation notes that the Norwalk schools are better than those in Bridgeport, where McDowell's last address was; the case thereby raises larger questions about why poorer families often must send their kids to poorly performing schools, in part because local tax revenues make up so much of school funding.

In Williams-Bolar's case, private investigators hired by Copley-Fairlawn schools in Ohio found her out and turned her over to the courts. In McDowell's case, the false address was uncovered by a public housing attorney dealing with the friend who let her use the address.

"I am surprised that this is the case [Norwalk officials] chose to make an example of," Norwalk attorney Michael Corsello told the Stamford-Advocate.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookou ... -container

THe homeless woman should have said she is an illegal alien and her son as well. Then the school officials would have allowed the son to stay in school. THe United States is crazy. It provides free school. free health care and free everything to illegal aliens. But when it comes to US citizens like this homeless woman and her son, the United States does not help. We must tell the politicians to start helping Americans and deport all illegal aliens.

Originally Posted by immigration2009

THe homeless woman should have said she is an illegal alien and her son as well. .

Exactly, then they would have rolled out the red carpet, sent them to the nearest welfare office, section 8 office and starting making calls to hire a interpreter for her son at school. Isn't it great to break the laws of a country and get so generously rewarded for it!!!!

Wow! There are laws people are SUPPOSED to follow. Who would have ever thought? .....

Absolutely amazing. Americans are expected to pick up the tab for illegal aliens, people that are not even supposed to be here, and then when a homeless person registers thier kid in a school district where the tax rates are much higher, all of sudden there are objections?

What snobs! They probably don't mind the illegals cutting their grass and waiting on them, or EMPLOYING them,.....as long as they don't stay in their upscale neighborhood.

I do not like class warfare, but, I hate hypocrites. Dimes to doughnuts, one could find many in Connecticut.

I'm not excusing what this woman did, but this is really deplorable the way she is being treated!! An American citizen is facing 20 years in prison for enrolling her child in school, while we have millions of illegal invaders allowed to walk up any school house steps and enroll their spawn, with nothing more than a utility bill, with no questions asked! In fact, if you dare ask them anything regarding their immigration status, you'll be sued!

Just another example of Americans getting screwed while illegal invaders get the VIP treatment! SICK!

Originally Posted by NoBueno

I'm not excusing what this woman did, but this is really deplorable the way she is being treated!! An American citizen is facing 20 years in prison for enrolling her child in school, while we have millions of illegal invaders allowed to walk up any school house steps and enroll their spawn, with nothing more than a utility bill, with no questions asked! In fact, if you dare ask them anything regarding their immigration status, you'll be sued!

Just another example of Americans getting screwed while illegal invaders get the VIP treatment! SICK!

My sentiments as well! This made me really angry!!!!!

WOW!!!!Its a dam shame illegals have more rights than american citizen.These illegals use false names addresses ss#and everythingelse they can get by with and doing it to.

Originally Posted by TexasBorn

Originally Posted by NoBueno

I'm not excusing what this woman did, but this is really deplorable the way she is being treated!! An American citizen is facing 20 years in prison for enrolling her child in school, while we have millions of illegal invaders allowed to walk up any school house steps and enroll their spawn, with nothing more than a utility bill, with no questions asked! In fact, if you dare ask them anything regarding their immigration status, you'll be sued!

Just another example of Americans getting screwed while illegal invaders get the VIP treatment! SICK!

My sentiments as well! This made me really angry!!!!!

Me too.

im so sick of all of the illegal immigrant it not funny any more
they get every SB thing they want & we get S//
well yes Im very angry this is all BS
No amnesty