Margaret Garnett, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation (“DOI”), and
Anastasia Coleman, the Special Commissioner of Investigation for the New York City School District (“SCI”),
issued a statement of findings today on their agencies’ joint investigation into the process of the New York City
Department of Education’s (“DOE”) inquiry into whether the education provided at certain Hasidic Yeshivas is
“substantially equivalent” to the education provided in City public schools. A copy of DOI and SCI’s statement of
findings is attached and can also be found at DOI’s and SCI’s websites at the following respective links:
https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doi/newsroom/press/2019/december.page
https://nycsci.org/press-releases/
The joint investigation concluded that political horse-trading between the Mayor’s and State legislators’
representatives unquestionably occurred. According to the investigation, the representatives agreed in 2017, as
part of a multi-pronged effort, to delay an interim report of the DOE’s findings in an attempt to secure support for
extending mayoral control of the City’s schools. However, the investigation also found that this agreement had no
substantial effect on the inquiry’s conclusion or the progress of the inquiry, which was mired in delays for several
years because of a variety of factors, including conflicts with the yeshivas and their counsel and a generally
accommodating approach taken by DOE to that conflict. Further, the evidence uncovered during this joint
investigation did not demonstrate whether the Mayor had personally authorized the agreement to delay the DOE
report; however, the totality of the evidence did indicate the Mayor was aware that the offer to delay had been
made.
DOI and SCI found no evidence of any violations of relevant laws or regulations and did not identify any
criminal conduct in connection with the release of DOE’s interim report.DOI and SCI found no evidence of any violations of relevant laws or regulations and did not identify any
criminal conduct in connection with the release of DOE’s interim report.
