Editorial for July 31, 2008 edition:

Atrocious behavior

The accusations involving two former executives at the Philadelphia Academy Charter School, as outlined in a special report compiled by a team of investigators, may not be as sexy as the federal criminal charges against former CBS-3 talking head Larry "The Super Snooper" Mendte, but they certainly are more disturbing and quite disheartening, and not merely because the school is very popular and has a long waiting list.
Brien Gardiner and Kevin O’Shea have not been charged with any crimes and are presumed innocent until proved guilty, but if in fact they did the things that the report says they did — including stealing lunch money and proceeds from the school’s Toys for Tots program — they should do some serious time in prison, and it is incumbent on acting U.S. Attorney Laurie Magid to see that it happens.
Whatever the charges — fraud, conspiracy, money laundering, obstruction of justice, or whatever else comes down the pike — the wrongdoers should have the book thrown at them by the feds.
Any PACS employee who either aided and abetted Mr. Gardiner and Mr. O’Shea or looked the other way while the pair allegedly were pilfering the place should be charged as accomplices. Faked ignorance of a crime is not bliss, and the knowledge that one could have prevented a crime by blowing the whistle but failed to do so can and should come back and bite them in the rear.
Somebody at the school should also explain how Mr. O’Shea, a former cop with no college degree, managed to get promoted to CEO of a public school at a $204,000 salary. In the meantime, PACS needs to get back to the business of educating our youngsters, with no hanky-panky involved. ••

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