CAMBRIDGE (CBS) – Two former Harvard Law School administrators are
accused of stealing thousands of dollars from an account meant to help
students with disabilities.
In a criminal complaint the I-Team obtained, Harvard University
police allege Meg DeMarco, 33, and Darris Saylors, 32, used the funds to
purchase laptops, iPads, DVDs, jewelry, and even a few X-rated items.
In all, the police investigation said the women stole about $110,000.
According to the court documents, things started to unravel in
November 2013 when a new budget manager at the law school noticed some
discrepancies.
Both DeMarco and Saylors resigned from their positions at the Dean of
Students office while a lengthy police investigation ensued.
The probe revealed purchases of dozens of laptops, iPads, iPods and
other electronics. Court documents say a subpoena to Apple traced the
items to DeMarco’s home in Chelsea and Saylors’ apartment in Cambridge.
Police also discovered items at the homes of Saylors’ friends and family
in California, Washington and Tennessee.
Kristina Vu is a second-year law student who is blind and uses a
guide dog to navigate campus. She was shocked when she heard the
allegations.
“It’s horrifying,” she told the I-Team. “Knowing that someone is out
there taking away those crucial resources from the vulnerable student
population that needs it to succeed is honestly very appalling to me.”
Court documents say DeMarco used a mobile card reader to deposit school money directly into her banking account.
Meantime, Saylors is accused of frequenting Amazon for a long list of
online purchases like purses, clothing and jewelry. The investigation
even found she used the Dean of Students purchasing card to buy sex
toys.
Police say she then tried to hide the purchases in budget documents
by changing the descriptions to things like, “textbooks for disabilities
accommodations.”
“What procedural safeguards were they lacking that allowed something like this to happen?” Vu wondered.
In a statement, Harvard Law School spokeswoman Michelle Deakin said the criminal charges stem from an internal financial audit.
“As a result of this matter, the Law School implemented additional
layers of controls governing the use of its credit accounts and
purchasing protocols,” Deakin wrote.
Saylors, who now lives out of state, did not respond to calls or emails requesting comment.
However, the I-Team recently caught up to DeMarco as she arrived for
work at Babson College. Instead of a defense, the former Harvard Law
administrator offered an apology.
“It was a big job and I made mistakes,” DeMarco told the I-Team. “I
never intended to harm the university. I’m very sorry and will do
everything in my power to rectify the situation.”
Saylors and DeMarco are scheduled to be arraigned in Cambridge District Court on Wednesday.
Elsie Tellier is involved with the Harvard College Disability Alliance,
a group that advocates for student accommodations. Tellier, a sophomore
with cystic fibrosis, said funds allocated for those purposes are
essential.
“Without it, we couldn’t be students,” Tellier told the I-Team.
“Hearing this is just outrageous and extremely upsetting. I really hope
this is a wake-up call for Harvard to take better account of where the
money is going.”
Full Article & Source:
I-Team: Harvard Law Administrators Accused Of Stealing Money Meant For Students With Disabilities
2 comments:
How low is that? And how embarrassing is it for Harvard?
My god.
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