Family took transport money while the son was locked up

[Oscar]

Board member's duties cut, by Lori Stabile, The Republican, May 22, 2009

MONSON - School Committee member Karen A. Patenaude, who is being sued by the Monson Public Schools over transportation costs for her son, has been removed from the budget and policy subcommittees, according to School Committee Chairman Michael J. Kane.

Kane said he decided to remove Patenaude from the subcommittees given the ongoing legal matter. He said he felt it was especially inappropriate for Patenaude to remain on the budget subcommittee because she would be able to review monetary items and make recommendations.

Patenaude referred questions to her lawyer, Lawrence Kotin, of Boston, who said his client shouldn't be punished, and that she is entitled to due process.

"I did notify (the school district's) counsel that any actions like that are really inappropriate, and we view them basically as retaliatory," Kotin said.

Kane had Superintendent Linda E. Denault notify Patenaude and the other committee members of his decision regarding the subcommittees earlier this month.

Patenaude refused to resign, saying only one side of the issue has been heard.

The suit was filed last month in Palmer District Court against Patenaude and her husband, James A. Patenaude, by the Monson Public Schools. The School Department said that the Patenaudes wrongly accepted $14,381 to transport their son daily to a private school in Hardwick when he was actually at a Christian boarding school in Utah.

The suit states that the school district was unaware until January that the student was attending Abundant Life Academy in Utah.

The suit asks that the Patenaudes return the money to the school district, claiming the "defendant's deceit and breach of contract."

[Ursus]

From the above article, "Board member's duties cut" (by Lori Stabile; May 22, 2009; The Republican):

"The suit was filed last month in Palmer District Court against Patenaude and her husband, James A. Patenaude, by the Monson Public Schools. The School Department said that the Patenaudes wrongly accepted $14,381 to transport their son daily to a private school in Hardwick when he was actually at a Christian boarding school in Utah."[/list][/size]
Interesting. I'm curious as to how this lawsuit turned out... if it ever got off the ground, and what the issues raised by the defense were or perhaps still are.

That "private school in Hardwick" was most likely Eagle Hill Academy, another behav mod program, albeit one that claims to specialize in "learning disabilities." The Patenaudes' son probably attended as one of their day students, and may have needed daily transport, the distance between the towns of Monson and Hardwick being roughly 23 miles.

I'd venture that the Patenaudes possibly saw the funding of $14,381 for transportation as being part and parcel of whatever they were allotted to educate their son vis a vis his "learning disabilities," if indeed he was categorized as having "Special Needs."

Unfortunately for them, they may not have appreciated that the allocation/granting of this type of funding is very task/job/function specific, constrained by governmental red tape, and cannot simply be transferred to something else the parents deem more suitable, or even to a different institution for the same purpose without jumping through a whole lotta hoops beforehand.

Of course, this is all pure speculation on my part...

Fwiw, to my knowledge, Abundant Life Academy in Utah has about zero expertise in "learning disabilities," though I really wouldn't be surprised if they advertise that they're experts at dealing with "learning differences."