N.Y. Dept. of Ed. Complaints Up 19% in 2012

Published: January 9, 2013

NEW YORK — Special Commissioner of Investigation Richard J. Condon released a statistical report Tuesday detailing the number of complaints received and investigations conducted by his office (SCI) in 2012, involving employees, individuals, and companies associated with the New York City Department of Education (DOE).

In 2012, SCI received 4,173 complaints, which represents a 19% increase from the approximately 3,500 complaints received in 2011. This is the most complaints ever received by SCI in the history of the agency. Of the 4,173 complaints lodged in 2012:

  • SCI opened 795 investigations, the highest number of investigations conducted by the agency;
  • Sexual misconduct complaints were up by 20%, which was consistent with the increase in the overall number of complaints;
  • 41 complaints involved Charter Schools, a 41% increase above the 29 complaints in 2011
  • SCI monitored 169 investigations being conducted by other entities, including other law enforcement agencies.

In 2012, SCI completed 752 investigations and had substantiated findings in 247 of those cases. The number of substantiated cases in 2012 represents 32% of the investigations completed. SCI recommended that the employment of 83 individuals be terminated compared to 104 in 2011. SCI recommended that 138 individuals be made ineligible for future employment with the DOE compared to 181 in 2011.1 In 2012, SCI referred at least 100 of the cases with substantiated findings to prosecutors. Investigations conducted by SCI resulted in the arrest of 15 individuals in 2012.

In 2012, 679 of the complaints received at SCI involved an allegation of sexual misconduct. Of those, SCI opened 287 investigations, an 11% increase above the 257 investigations opened in 2011. In 2012, SCI completed 285 investigations which involved a sexual allegation and 57 — 20% — had substantiated findings. Sexual allegations include criminal acts, inappropriate relationships with students who have reached the age of consent, and physical and verbal harassment of a sexual nature.

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The Office of the Special Commissioner of Investigation is part of the New York City Department of Investigation and Special Commissioner Condon reports to Commissioner Rose Gill Hearn.

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