Disqus - Latest Comments for RobertCox

Re: Robert Cox Responds to NewROAR on Shadia Alvarez and Racism

Robert Cox — Thu, 20 Dec 2018 02:50:01 -0000

I appreciate this thoughful response to my article.

There is something you do not appear to know. It has long been the District policy that Administrators are ordered not to speak to me so Shadia Alvarez is not allowed to speak with me. The school board does not allow even saying the name of a school district employee at a board meeting. So, there is no opportunity for me to speak to Shadia Alvarez and either get her version of events or get from her references to friends and colleagues who might serve as character witnesses.

Setting that aside, different journalists do different kinds of reporting. If you are familiar with my work, my style is to obtain official documents then report what those documents say. I often include the documents themselves in my articles. Likewise with photos, videos or other content. I obtain the material, report on that material, publish that material, let readers make their own evaluations and give them an opportunity to respond underneath the article in a comment as you have done or do so on Facebook or Twitter or reach out to me directly by phone, text, email or snail mail. And people did this every day and I do my best to respond to each and every person.

I would note that my first article about Shadia Alvarez ran May 7th and over the next 7 months I have never heard from here or, to your point, any friends or colleagues.

As far as my reporting on Shadia Alvarez.

It began with my obtaining filings through PACER, documents her lawyer filed in a federal lawsuit. One record in PACER was the OSI Investigation of her which sustained allegations of financial fraud — she filed falsified time sheets to be paid for hours she did not work.

I wrote about the judge dismissing that lawsuit based on the Judge’s decision which I obtained via PACER.

I made a FOIL request to obtain an SCI Investigation report which sustained allegations concerning $114,000 in unpaid invoices. That report referenced an unrelated random Ernst & Young audit which found 31 debit card transactions worth over $10,000 which she could not explain.

I wrote about the T&M Report on the Apex Investigation as well as the T&M Invoices which contained information about Shadia Alvarez. And the NRBOE did their own investigation.

I published all of these records. No one has claimed I misrepresented the information in any of these records.

The “damage” to Shadia Alvarez is not that I distorted or misrepresented the information in these records but rather that I accurately reported that information.

While it can certainly be that case that a person is a victim of a bad boss or some sort of cabal, in her case you would be positing a conspiracy that includes the school district administrators in the Bronx at NYC DOE, the folks at OSI and SCI, the legal counsel at NYC DOE, auditors at one of the biggest accounting firms in the world, a federal judge and others.

And this is all before even considering the T&M Report commissioned by the New Rochelle Board of Education.

And then there is that damning report where she repeatedly changes her story, claims to have more information, implies she is a victim of others and otherwise engages in behavior which mirrors what OSI and SCI investigaors described.

Shadia Alvarez has been investigated five times by fivecdifferent investigators and flunked each time.

If you leave your house stone cold sober and the first person you meet says “your drunk” you laugh it off. Then the second person you meet says the same thing and you think “what is wrong with them?”. Then the third person you meet says “you’re drunk” too. At what point do you just go home and sleep it off?

When everyone who investigates her finds her deceptive and evasive, when all charges made against here are sustained then at some point even she has to consider that she is the problem.

In any case, my style of reporting is to gather records, present the narrative told by those records to my readers along with the records themselves and let my readers see for themselves.

As for getting Shadia Alvarez take on all this, you seem to have missed the parts where it says that Alvarez had multiple interviews with FIVE different sets of investigators (OSI, SCI, E&Y, T&M, NRBOE) for, I believe between 8 to 10 interviews. Her statements are described in these reports. So I did get to hear her side of the story. Like those 5 investigators, I too do not fund her credible.

Re: Custodian in New Rochelle Elementary School Busted (again) for Heroin

Robert Cox — Fri, 31 Aug 2018 13:45:21 -0000

Little Jimmy is the person who painted a death threat against me on his father’s boat. He filed a bogus police report claiming I “harassed” him which was dismissed as unfounded by the detective assigned the case. He sued me for defamation in a case where his lawyers begged out of the case after I destroyed him and his father in depositions. They ended up writing me a check for $2,000 after they sued me.

Little Jimmy has for years stolen time and supplies from the district.

He is not just a heroin addict. He is a crook.

While it is to be hoped that any addict can get into recovery and stay clean that has nothing to do with his continued employment by the City School District of New Rochelle. In fact, a good case can be made that his father and the District have enabled his addiction by failing to provide consequences for his behavior.

Little Jimmy should have never been hired. He should have been fired years ago. With this latest indication that he continues to use heroin and operate vehicles under the influence (his job title was up until recently “motor equipment operator”) the time is right to put an end to his time as an employee of the New Rochelle Board of Education.

Despite what he did to me and my family, I still wish him well if he chooses recovery but regardless he must not return to work on Tuesday.

Re: Homeless Man Makes First Court Appearance in New Rochelle Armory Murder Case

Robert Cox — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 01:59:11 -0000

On your website you can have your policies. On my website I have my policies. I do not like people using all caps. If readers want to draw attention to themselves they can do with the quality of what they have to say not by "shouting".

Re: Homeless Man Makes First Court Appearance in New Rochelle Armory Murder Case

Robert Cox — Mon, 30 Jul 2018 23:05:25 -0000

What would you propose the City do about a person who sits in the Library doing nothing?

Before you answer, please change your account to normal capitalization not your name in all caps. It is considered SHOUTING and thereby rude.

Please fix it or expect to be blocked until you do. Thanks.

Re: Embattled New Rochelle High School Principal Reggie Richardson Resigns

Robert Cox — Mon, 30 Jul 2018 14:57:08 -0000

I am curious to know on what basis you purport to know what the "the community at large" thinks or what "almost every parent in this community" thinks about anything.

Idiot.

Re: Plant Operations Supervisor at New Rochelle Middle School Busted for Dealing Heroin

Robert Cox — Fri, 13 Jul 2018 18:30:17 -0000

UPDATE: New Rochelle School Supervisor Resigns Following Heroin Bust

http://www.newrochelletalk....

Re: Plant Operations Supervisor at New Rochelle Middle School Busted for Dealing Heroin

Robert Cox — Fri, 13 Jul 2018 09:48:46 -0000

I am not “exploiting” the story, I am reporting a story.

You and everyone else is free to post comments attesting to Mike Umbro’s positive qualities and moral charachter without accusing me of slander, or getting the facts wrong, or smearing anyone.

One has nothing to do with the other.

No where in the article or in the comments do I pass judgement on the merits of the charges filed against Umbro or about him personally.

What I see here is a great deal of effort to “shoot the messenger”. The story is true, accurately reported and newsworthy.

Given this I fail to see why supporters of Mr. Umbro cannot simply articulate their support for him without engaging in ad hominem attacks against the reporter or calling into question the article itself or the supposed motivation behind publishing it.

The motivation is simple: the arrest of a senior level SRP at a local middle school on charges of dealing heroin is newsworthy.

Re: Plant Operations Supervisor at New Rochelle Middle School Busted for Dealing Heroin

Robert Cox — Wed, 11 Jul 2018 22:26:07 -0000

Dana,

You say “no one is denying your reporting”. Yet you began your comments by claiming “many of these facts are incorrect”. Asked for an example, you claimed I had misstated the “return date” which I did not. You then said what I wrote was “misleading” which it is not.

So, in fact, your first three comments were attempts to deny my reporting.

The article is not a “smear” because a smear would be a false allegation meant to damage the reputation of someone. You are accusing me of slander. In fact, Michael Umbro was arrested and charged as I reported.

As for the idea that I should not have reported that one of the most senior, highest paid, service-related professionals in the City School District of New Rochelle was charged with dealing heroin — a person responsible for maintaining the facilities of one of the largest schools in the district — is absurd. It is a news story. As the Journal News, Patch and Daily Voice all agree.

It seems that you and others have lost sight of something important: ALMS parents do not expect their children to be exposed to school employees possessing, distributing or under the influence of heroin. If you are working in a public school, around young and impressionable children you will be held to a higher standard.

I appreciate you do not want people to know the information in this story. I appreciate your personal concerns. Addiction is a disease and hopefully Michael will get the help he needs. But, he is not exempt from accountability for his actions.

Re: Plant Operations Supervisor at New Rochelle Middle School Busted for Dealing Heroin

Robert Cox — Wed, 11 Jul 2018 18:03:10 -0000

The article is a straight up news report of the arrest of a senior school district employee who was charged with possession of heroin with the intent to distribute. The article is entirely accurate. It is not a “smear”. That you say that tells me you do not know what the word means.

I appreciate you like the guy and support the family but Mike Umbro really was arrested by NRPD, he really was charged with heroin dealing by WCDA.

It is not a conspiracy.

Re: Plant Operations Supervisor at New Rochelle Middle School Busted for Dealing Heroin

Robert Cox — Wed, 11 Jul 2018 10:50:05 -0000

He was charged with intent to sell based on what police said was the nature of the way the heroin was packaged and the quantity (50 packets).

Re: Plant Operations Supervisor at New Rochelle Middle School Busted for Dealing Heroin

Robert Cox — Tue, 10 Jul 2018 23:55:35 -0000

It is certainly regrettable that family members have to cope with a situation like this. I do not want to get into further back and forth with you during what must be a painful time.

My reporting is based on government records. If you have information you wish to share that contradicts the police or prosecutors you are welcome to do so.

That said, it is always going to be “news” when a school district employee is charged with dealing heroin.

The case will play out in court and we will report any further developments.

Re: Plant Operations Supervisor at New Rochelle Middle School Busted for Dealing Heroin

Robert Cox — Tue, 10 Jul 2018 21:31:40 -0000

The information I provided was not misleading in the slightest.

This article is not a “smear” but rather a report based on PD and DA records.

Re: Plant Operations Supervisor at New Rochelle Middle School Busted for Dealing Heroin

Robert Cox — Tue, 10 Jul 2018 16:22:56 -0000

Nope. The police report states that at time of his arrest on 6/21 he was given a return date of 6/22.

The Westchester County District Attorney’s Office just sent me additional information including that he was arraigned on June 22, he has the one felony charge for dealing narcotics and the police allege he was found with 50 packets of heroin. The story has been updated with this information.

Re: Plant Operations Supervisor at New Rochelle Middle School Busted for Dealing Heroin

Robert Cox — Tue, 10 Jul 2018 15:40:22 -0000

The article is based on information provided by NRPD. So, can you provide an example of a single fact that is not correct?

Re: New Rochelle Teachers Allege Grading Misconduct in High School Art Department

Robert Cox — Fri, 25 May 2018 15:44:20 -0000

It is not my concern WHY something comes to but whether its newsworthy

Re: New Rochelle Teachers Allege Grading Misconduct in High School Art Department

Robert Cox — Fri, 25 May 2018 15:43:34 -0000

All allegations are unproven which is why the are allegations.

I do not know the person you reference and have no axe to grind.

The allegations contained in the email pertain to our past reporting and the recent lohud article on grade-fixing and Apex. It is newsworthy. Of course we would run it.

I appreciate that you like a particular person but that does not speak to the allegations.

Re: Bryan Stamps Chronology: What Really Happened on January 18 at New Rochelle High School?

Robert Cox — Thu, 24 May 2018 02:48:11 -0000

You are welcome.

The school staff and security (except the woman kept opening the door during the lockout) are operating under orders from the administration. This is a failure of leadership from the top down.

The line employees are between a rock and hard place. They are put there by people above their pay grade.

Re: Prom Killer Who Ripped Off NYC Schools After Hurricane Sandy Now Up for Tenure at New Rochelle High School

Robert Cox — Sat, 19 May 2018 02:42:17 -0000

I am continuing my efforts to report out allegations of fraud and abuse involving the improper use of Apex Credit Recovery at NRHS which I referenced in a recent article on the apparent termination of NRHS House Principal Shadia Alvarez by the New York City Department of Education in 2014 prior to her hiring by the NRBOE. It is unclear why Alvarez was hired considering the sustained charges of fraud by the NYC DOE. I asked Reggie Richardson in an email but he did not respond. Alvarez is up for tenure in a few weeks. This would seem like a very bad idea.

According to sources, on the day my article was published, Alvarez was called to meet with HR Director Joe Williams. Alvarez is paid $5,000 to manage the Apex program. Over the next two days Alvarez was observed in the guidance office seeking records of students who received credits through Apex. She reportedly left empty-handed; staff told her they did not have such records. I have reason to believe records were deliberately withheld from her. There is a lot more to this but I am not ready to tell the full story for now.

I have been hearing stories of abuse of Apex for two years. There appears to be something “wrong” with how Apex is being used improperly to get credits onto student transcripts:

“...computers used for credit recovery are left “unlocked” so that students can complete “closed book” tests with their books, notes and other material on hand. Students have access to the exams at any time and can work on them from home. There is no way to know that a particular student completed their own work. Worse, in some cases, credit recovery is not being used to recover credit for a class but rather in lieu of taking the class. Some house principals have students that are only enrolled in credit recovery classes.”

http://www.newrochelletalk....

In light of this, I took note of a recent investigation by WAMU and NPR into the DC School District which found a “culture of fear” to boost graduation rates: where “credit recovery (accelerated coursework) was used inappropriately at most high schools” and “high schools rarely followed district attendance policies”.

This sounds familiar based on the calls I have gotten over the past two years.

NPR/WAMU reported “All of this casts a shadow over the school district's graduation rate, which had jumped 20 percentage points since 2011, and reinforces the findings of a recent survey of more than 600 public school teachers in the District, which showed that teachers all across D.C. feel pressure from administrators to change grades and attendance records. That survey was conducted by the Washington Teachers Union and the teacher group EmpowerEd.”

Teachers in New Rochelle have told me they feel similar pressure and that in some cases grades for their students were altered.

NPR wrote:

“Since publishing our initial investigation, we have found this story playing out in schools across the country. We have heard from teachers in Vermont, West Virginia, Illinois, Maryland, South Carolina, Massachusetts, New York, Wyoming, Ohio and Pennsylvania. It's clear that schools everywhere are promoting and graduating underprepared and chronically absent students by pressuring teachers and using shortcuts.”

The difficulty I face is student records are confidential under FERPA and not subject to FOIL. I do not have a good idea on how to overcome this roadblock. If anyone has any good ideas I would like to hear them.

There is DEFINITELY something afoot here since my Alvarez article. Where it leads remains to be seen. Stay tuned.

https://www.npr.org/section...

Re: New Rochelle Task Force on School Violence Members Named

Robert Cox — Tue, 06 Mar 2018 20:13:57 -0000

I have more coming on this BS task force. Stay tuned.

Re: 50-100 Youths Engage New Rochelle Police in March Madness at New Roc City, Youths Stomp on Patrol Cars, Threaten to Shoot Police, 1 Tased, 4 Arrested

Robert Cox — Tue, 06 Mar 2018 20:10:09 -0000

The name "Stab City, USA" is an EARNED title. It's what happens when you have stabbings week in and week out for a while.

Re: 50-100 Youths Engage New Rochelle Police in March Madness at New Roc City, Youths Stomp on Patrol Cars, Threaten to Shoot Police, 1 Tased, 4 Arrested

Robert Cox — Tue, 06 Mar 2018 20:09:18 -0000

"what I can attest to is the property value of my home dropping month by month."

yup

Re: 50-100 Youths Engage New Rochelle Police in March Madness at New Roc City, Youths Stomp on Patrol Cars, Threaten to Shoot Police, 1 Tased, 4 Arrested

Robert Cox — Tue, 06 Mar 2018 20:08:37 -0000

Plus the charges were BS. They are under appeal and I expect to have the case thrown out and I have a Federal lawsuit aginst the people involved. Let's see where we end up. I invariably win because I never give up.

Re: 50-100 Youths Engage New Rochelle Police in March Madness at New Roc City, Youths Stomp on Patrol Cars, Threaten to Shoot Police, 1 Tased, 4 Arrested

Robert Cox — Tue, 06 Mar 2018 20:07:18 -0000

There were up to 100 youths involved. Three were from MV, 1 from NYC, the kids on bokes ARE from New Rochelle.

So what is your point, that ruots are OK so long as the rioters are from some other town?

Re: 50-100 Youths Engage New Rochelle Police in March Madness at New Roc City, Youths Stomp on Patrol Cars, Threaten to Shoot Police, 1 Tased, 4 Arrested

Robert Cox — Tue, 06 Mar 2018 20:05:41 -0000

Obviously not a regular reader if you think I am known for being "poitically correct". That you wish people to be injured who actually go out and get in the middle of a riot to report the news while you site at your keyboard tells me all I need to know.

Re: 50-100 Youths Engage New Rochelle Police in March Madness at New Roc City, Youths Stomp on Patrol Cars, Threaten to Shoot Police, 1 Tased, 4 Arrested

Robert Cox — Tue, 06 Mar 2018 20:03:42 -0000

The police released the three names because they are being charged as adults.

The fourth is a 15-year old who was treated as a minor.