Homeless mother who sent six-year-old son to better school in the wrong town jailed for five years

This is a couple of days old, but did a search and didn't see this on ATS. In Connecticut, a homeless woman has been sent to jail for five years for sending her six year old son to school in the "wrong town". I don't understand how any town can be "wrong" since she was living in her van at the time.

Authorities claim she "stole" over $15,000 worth of education for her son.

Source

A mother who pleaded guilty to fraudulently enrolling her six-year-old son in the wrong school district has been sentenced to five years in prison. Tonya McDowell sent her son to an elementary school in Norwalk, Connecticut, instead of her home city of Bridgeport.

It's the prior conviction of a felony and the sale of narcotics that got her into trouble. She got a heck of a deal considering that.

reply to post by avocadoshag


Damn. I'm ashamed my tax dollars are going to hurt this woman instead of educating her child.

You would be surprised at the people who fudge things to get their kid in a better school. If, lets say, you live in an area where your kid would have to attend one of the crappiest schools in the state, but one of your parents lives in the school district of one of the top schools in the state, would you use their address to let your child access a better education? I know some that would.

MOTF!

Wow, all she did was want to put her child into a better school and looses 5 years of her life. That's awful. The prison industrial system is so corrupt.

This is just another way that society punishes the poor for being poor.

Originally posted by Turq1
It's the prior conviction of a felony and the sale of narcotics that got her into trouble. She got a heck of a deal considering that.

I don't see how a prior drug conviction is relevant to this case, it's not even in the same category of crimes. Once you did your time it should over, not considered in future sentencing. The war on drugs is a sham anyway.

------

Edit; After reading the article it seems the drug charges were current so never-mind. The title of the article is kind of misleading...

Its not wise to be a drug dealer,especially if one's a parent-but i do feel badly for her,that she's ALSO being punished for wanting a better education for her son.That speaks of motherly love and concern-THAT should never be punished.

With all the tax monies governments gather in each year-SCHOOLING SHOULD BE FREE IN ALL NON-PRIVATE SCHOOLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! or at least a very very minimum fee should be charged-and then only to those that can afford it.Then there should also be an option for voluntary donations to each school,so those that can,can contribute a bit more.But really,any government that values its youth,its future,should fund all non-private schools-why do the parents have to pay income tax,general sales tax,this tax,that tax-and not at least get such a basic thing as education free?That way the parents that are'nt wealthy may be able to save up for their child's tertiary education at a university or college! And more bright but poorer children may actually be able to choose a career that helps society in general,instead of being just another cashier(ive been a mere cashier/sales assistent myself,so im not being snobbish here,btw)

stories like this make me have conflicted feelings . the fact that this woman is facing time due to the enrollment , with some other problems apparently , i feel a little bad . but having 4 kids and 2 grand kids i have seen what the local school districts "choice of schools" has done to the school districts. a lot of people whose children are having problems in school , send their kids to better schools in hopes their kids will do better , and it usually turns out that the problems were due to their kids .

wow you can "steal education" in a land of "free education"?

can't say i'm over surprised at that. wonder if they could do the same for someone not paying proper taxes, that has a kid, yet another charge "stealing education". you should be able to choose where a child goes to school, if it's the fact that you pay for one area's school yet want to have a child go to another area then you should be able to have your tax dollars sent to that area instead.

i actually had a high school friend who did this. he was listed as a resident at a friends house so he was able to avoid the crappy Toronto school system and attend a school outside of Toronto. and where he lived (an area full of gangs and drugs), i don't blame him for wanting to go to school in a safer area. so i guess he is a criminal for wanting a better/safer education, what a joke. yet another high school friend did the same only they used a loophole that allowed them to attend a different area school due to courses offered that were not available in their area.

i guess it's another way of making sure that people are kept in their place, and are unable to get a better education that might allow them to raise above their proper station in life based on where they live. who said their is no class system in North America? this type of thing seems to indicate that the class system is very real and stepping outside of it is a crime.

Typical Daily Mail headline/story - they give you the facts but not necessary all of them nor in the right order.

She has been convicted of being a drug dealer. And for that she has been sentenced to 5 years. Sending her child to the wrong school was an additional charge, but a comparatively minor one in comparison. 5 years for drug dealing is not quite as sensational for the gutter press though

Police state!

A homeless person seeking welfare by law has no address.

In effect, whoever wrote this up as a crime, is saying the right school is no school.

Drug Dealing Thief Defrauds School of $15,000

That's a more fitting headline.

Honestly, I can't tell the difference between ATS and MSM any more...

The greater the hyperbole, the quicker it gets lapped up it seems.