UTD Speaks Out on Behalf of Teachers Unjustly Caught Up in MOTET Scandal 

“We must delay making a decision on this item to the end of the school year. How can we make a determination before looking at each individual case?” declared UTD President Karen Aronowitz at the School Board meeting on March 15, as the item to fire six teachers involved in the MOTET phoney courses credits investigation came up for a vote.   

Aronowitz went on to tell the School Board that some of the terminations are unjust and some teachers were intimidated to resign.  

“We certainly don’t condone fraud, but terminations without regard to the level of misconduct is perpetrating injustice, making students suffer and causing undo anguish to people that in good faith followed procedure,” said Aronowitz.   

UTD Representative for the Office of Professional Standards Michael Molnar told the School Board that it was ludicrous to move ahead at this time with the termination of the six teachers.  

“I interviewed 62 UTD Members of the 106 teachers under investigation.  Your investigators have disregarded the testimony of those teachers in favor of less credible testimony by a convicted felon, William McCoggle, the scheme's kingpin,“ stated Molnar.  

Molnar told the School Board that a teacher who taught with McCoggle testified that McCoogle’s testimony was an outright lie.  “You cannot ask teachers to produce coursework they did 10 years ago and then fire them if they can't produce it,” stated Molnar 

“The punishment does not fit the crime.  I beg of you to table this and review it one last time,” pleaded Molnar. 

The School Board also heard from a UTD member who was part of the investigation, parents and several students.   

In the end the School Board voted to proceed with the Superintendent's recommendation to fire six teachers.  UTD has vowed to appeal the firings at the state level.