This summer will be especially hot for Hartford Schools Superintendent Torres-Rodriguez (do handcuffs heat up in the summer sun?).

Earlier this month, due to the superintendent’s historical financial negligence, the state announced that HPS would now be the subject of state financial oversight (“Superintendent Steers HPS into State Financial Oversight”). 

This past week, based on a more than two-year investigation by the state’s Office of Child Advocate (OCA), it was announced that a civil rights lawsuit has been filed with the United States Justice Department against HPS (and several other districts) for their criminal negligence in the servicing of the most vulnerable of HPS’ beautiful and capable students.  The OCA claims HPS has violated more federal titles and chapters than an off-the-rails librarian.

And, as was conveyed to me this week, the city of Hartford’s Internal Audit Commission will be opening an investigation into the nexus between the costly contracts paid by HPS and the lack of responsible oversight by the district and board of education which has led to the DOJ lawsuit.

Perhaps someday, justice will strike down upon the superintendent with great vengeance and furious anger for the fraudulent graduation numbers she and propaganda specialist Jesse Sugarman have been feeding local media robots lately.  If you’re thinking at this point that Torres-Rodriguez ought to be removed at any cost and with whatever law enforcement vehicle is necessary, you’re likely in the majority.

As to DOJ’s intervention into Torres-Rodriguez’s stewardship of the district, this will occur due to the OCA’s investigation into the services provided to special education students sent from HPS and other districts to High Road School facilities.  The OCA felt compelled to file the lawsuit after observing systematic and illegal inequities in how the schools were being run and staffed, and how school districts like Hartford were systematically failing to provide legally required oversight over the program.  The OCA’s March 2024 report is available here, everyone should read and share the report, it includes some maddening and nauseating observations.  The report specifically indicts HPS as one of several districts which failed to provide oversight over staffing and services delivered to the most vulnerable of Hartford students.

Keep in mind that HPS and the BOE, according to the OCA report, were failing to provide oversight to a contractor, High Road, to whom they were awarding “multi-million dollar” contracts.  According to the report, High Road would charge sending districts between $225-$550 per student per day.  At one point in the investigation, HPS was sending 80 kids to High Road schools, which was 25% of the entire High Road enrollment.

The OCA notified the offending school districts early in 2022 that this investigation was ongoing, what they were witnessing, and their overall concerns with the program.  The OCA stated in their report that school districts pretty much shrugged, with some saying they weren’t seeing that.  The OCA stated that most districts provided no on-site visits to the High Road schools (Hartford has two) and were relying solely on what High Road administrators were reporting.

Now, during the state’s investigation into High Road, where HPS was sending 80 special education students, an investigation which HPS was fully aware of, HPS and the BOE conspired to award Connecticut Behavioral Health (CBH) four separate contracts to provide in-house special education services to HPS students.  These four contracts totaled $1.5 million.  Three of the contracts (2021, 2022, 2023) never appeared on a BOE subcommittee agenda for discussion and each was placed on the BOE’s monthly Regular Meeting consent agenda and approved with no discussion.  Thus, while the district is being investigated for failing to provide oversight to a contractor providing special education services, the BOE is passing four contracts for another third party to provide special education services without asking questions or requesting reports: without providing oversight.  It’s insane!

Furthermore, the June of 2023 contract to CBH was approved as a block of six different third-party entities under the title, “SPED Contracts” (SPED = special education).  Six non-HPS entities were paid a total of $6 million by HPS and the BOE to provide special education services to HPS students while the district and BOE were under investigation for illegally shunning their responsibility to special education students sent to High Road schools.  My God!

Aided and abetted by her dim-witted lackeys on the Rigueur-led BOE, Superintendent Torres-Rodriguez has been financially and criminally negligent in her stewardship of HPS.  Her “leadership” has endangered the future lives and careers of far too many beautiful and capable students. 

Keeping true to her leadership style, Torres-Rodriguez will no doubt throw a few central office folks under the bus due to the latest lawsuit.  It is time clear thinking serious folks find a bus which Torres-Rodriguez can be thrown under; a short bus would be appropriate.