Federal Charges Pushed for Employees Who Took Disney World Trips Meant for Homeless Kids

An education advocate argues federal officials should consider criminal charges against employees who robbed homeless students of a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Walt Disney World.

Disneyland guests dressed in Halloween costumes at Oogie Boogie Bash — Credit: Disney

Following the bombshell story of six New York City employees allegedly getting caught taking their own kids to Walt Disney World using funds meant for homeless students, an advocate for education, Leonie Haimson, is arguing that the country should seek federal charges.

“This appears to be a criminal use of federal funds for homeless students, involving forgery and fraud,” said Leonie Haimson, the executive director of Class Size Matters.

This shocking story was first reported earlier this month, with grants meant to aid just a small portion of the 2.5 million homeless kids and 500,000 children living in temporary housing in America going missing and being misused by New York City employees.

A trip to any of the Disney theme parks seems to be slipping further out of reach for average families, with ticket and food prices rising exponentially over the last decade. Add on all of the paid extras, like Disney’s new line-skipping tool Lightning Lane Multi Pass, as well as a week stay at one of the resort’s many hotels, and a Walt Disney World vacation can easily surpass $6k for the average family of four.

Disney does what it can to entice guests to take a trip, offering special discounts and limited-time savings, but some guests feel a Magic Kingdom vacation has simply gotten too expensive.

The money used was meant to allow students with fewer opportunities to experience the vacation of a lifetime, but it was instead taken and used by others.

A woman kisses a young child on the cheek while another child smiles and hugs them both. They are all wearing illuminated Mickey Mouse ears, enjoying Disney After Hours at the theme park, with a brightly lit castle in the background. — Credit: Disney

Haimson now calls for a probe by the Department of Education’s inspector general, according to the New York Post.

Haimson notes the SCI’s report cites “much documentary evidence, including witness statements, dozens of photographs, and falsified permission slips.”

A spokeswoman for the Department of Education, Nicole Brownstein, refused to comment on whether any employee has paid restitution but confirmed Friday that all six cited by the SCI were “terminated, resigned, or voluntarily retired.”

A vibrant street scene at Disney theme park features people strolling along a main avenue adorned with festive fall decorations. Shops line both sides, and a castle looms majestically in the background under a bright, cloudy sky. Nearby, the entrance to Peter Pan’s Flight draws excited visitors. — Credit: kaleb tapp on Unsplash

A series of grants meant for homeless students in New York City were allegedly used by six people who worked for the New York City Department of Education to pay for lavish trips for themselves and family members, including a trip to the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida.

A manager of students in temporary housing in Queens, Linda M. Wilson, and five other city employees used “forged permission slips” to take their children and grandkids to Walt Disney World, specifically the Magic Kingdom. These trips extended to Washington D.C., New Orleans, and Rocking House Ranch Resort, among other locations.

Investigators also stated that Wilson and fellow staff members used the funds for college tours, including one at Syracuse University, but reportedly never actually visited the schools. Instead, they used the college tours as an excuse for other vacation experiences. A whopping $300,000 in grant money was used to fund the trips.

“What happens here stays with us,” Wilson allegedly told her colleagues.

Wilson, 63, denied taking her daughters on trips and informed The Post that she had retired.

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