Education

Mother gets 12 years for “stealing” son’s education

A homeless mother plead guilty to first-degree larceny and conspiracy, after she fraudulently enrolled her son in a school district.

Published

14 years ago

February 29, 2012

UVM Staff

Tanya McDowell has plead guilty to first-degree larceny and conspiracy, after she fraudulently enrolled her son in a school district.

Prosecutor’s say Connecticut mother, Tanya McDowell, stole money from tax payers by putting her son in the wrong school.

McDowell entered her plea on Wednesday in Norwalk Superior Court under the Alford Doctrine, meaning she doesn’t admit guilt but concedes the state has enough evidence to convict her.

McDowell’s 12-year-sentence also includes four counts of drug possession and sale charges she plead guilty to.

McDowell was homeless at the time she was charged with felony larceny. Prosecutors allege she used her baby-sitter’s address to send her son to school, rather than the district of Bridgeport where her last home was.

The case drew national attention, with support from civil rights group. Despite the support of the NAACP, the defense was unable to get the case dismissed.

The Hearst Connecticut Media Group reports her lawyer says she insists she’s not guilty. Lawyer Darnell Crosland says people “shouldn’t be arrested for stealing a free education.”

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5 Comments

Andrea B Meyers
July 23, 2012 at 8:57 pm
a mother. homeless trying to help her son get the best….
homeless.
i’d like to see how many even can FEEL how hard it would be..to live day in/out …easy?
and stigma?
my GOD…when will we learn to see people as people..and not clones of ..’ourselves’…or those who feel somehow “superior” …
i hope her son gets a great education…
BUT
i also hope this will wake others up.
she loves her son.
what was her life?
many become homeless
oh it is sooo easy to put them down-say-
‘wash up-get a job..washing floors…or whatever’
even that..
you think it is so easy?
no no and no again–not all-or not even many homeless are homeless in the first place due to mental illness (a whole other issue)
but whether drugs come before or during homelessness…hard to say…
but i am sure people don’t jump out and look for this as a life.
please: feel beyond your own life. hard..not hard..whatever
it is not ANOTHERS life
and many issues can bring on
….
…many
..
issues.
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Andrea B Meyers
July 23, 2012 at 11:42 pm
to Tanya McDowell:
i hold strong hope that your son gets his education.
..and i wish it was where you had hoped for.
but…let this take north of you to higher and a better life
than most people have.
your love for your son…
and all else added to this disgrace..
i really believe will be noticed by MANY
regardless-
you stood ..you love
you stand..
you love
never forget that.
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Andrea B Meyers
July 24, 2012 at 11:52 am
is there no way to delete the below comments??
i got caught up in the homelessness issue…and..
ask please…can these comments be deleted?
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- JustMe
  July 25, 2012 at 12:40 am
  Hi Andrea, it is a shame that they used her as an example for wanting her son to have a quality education while she was facing a life storm. Society is senseless and heartless for doing this to her. I pray that her jail stay is short lived. Lets continue to pray for Tanya, she doesn’t deserve this treatment.
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  - Andrea B Meyers
    July 26, 2012 at 12:15 am
    thank you for replying.—yes….i agree 100% and more…let’s continue to pray for tanya-…and if we maybe can do more…-?
    also..not sure where or what is going on with her son. –they also broke them apart 🙁
    i also hope this story will stay alive and very open and out there.
    no WAY should she be ..isn’t it prison? ..need to re-look? –wonder why the red in the writing changed,,?
    regardless…12 years??? -do they even CARE??? -this is going to mess her up more. —she loves her son. –yes–troubles…and the holding up the store (?) –still..again..until one knows what it is like to be in …homeless and etcetcetc situations…–i mean..i wonder how much they asked her about her past…besides all the …NEGATIVE.
    sorry to go on.
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