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NY Special Ed Teacher, City Councilmember Discussed Sex, Drugs, Violence With Student: Police NY Special Ed Teacher, City Councilmember Discussed Sex, Drugs, Violence With Student: Police
NY Special Ed Teacher, City Councilmember Discussed Sex, Drugs, Violence With Student: Police A New York special education teacher and city councilmember is accused of engaging in sexually explicit conversations with an underage student. Fulton County resident Scott Jeffers, 42, of Johnstown, was arrested Thursday, Dec. 11, following an investigation launched at the request of Greater Johnstown School District Superintendent Amy Arcurio, according to New York State Police. Investigators concluded that Jeffers, a special education teacher at Johnstown Jr./Sr. High School, repeatedly communicated with a student under the age of 17 through social media, text messages, voice calls, and …

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by Michael Mashburn
Schools
Lehigh University Professor Ran $2M Wire Fraud Scheme — Fourth International Crime At College Lehigh University Professor Ran $2M Wire Fraud Scheme — Fourth International Crime At College
Lehigh University Professor Ran $2M Wire Fraud Scheme — Fourth International Crime At College A now-former Lehigh University professor has admitted to running a wire fraud scheme that stole nearly $2 million from victims, according to court documents, federal prosecutors, and a statement from the University shared with DailyVoice on Thursday, Dec. 4.  Chinedu Ekuma, 45, of Catasauqua, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge John M. Gallagher to two counts of wire fraud after acknowledging he carried out the scheme from August 2020 through March 2023, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. According to prosecutors, Ekuma used…

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by Jillian Pikora
Schools
Megyn Kelly’s ‘Disturbing’ Epstein Comments Spark Petition To Strip NY School Honor Megyn Kelly’s ‘Disturbing’ Epstein Comments Spark Petition To Strip NY School Honor
Megyn Kelly’s ‘Disturbing’ Epstein Comments Spark Petition To Strip NY School Honor Megyn Kelly’s recent remarks about accused child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein triggered hundreds of comments on a petition calling for her to be removed from her New York high school’s Hall of Fame. The Change.org petition, titled “Remove Megyn Kelly from Bethlehem Hall of Fame,” had gathered nearly 900 signatures as of Wednesday, Nov. 19. Organizers launched it after Kelly – speaking on her SiriusXM talk show Wednesday, Nov. 12 – said Epstein "was into the barely legal type, like, he liked 15-year-old girls. He liked the very young teen types that could pass for even younger than they w…

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by Michael Mashburn
Schools
Middle School Principal Resigns Amid Embezzlement Accusations In Saratoga County Middle School Principal Resigns Amid Embezzlement Accusations In Saratoga County
Middle School Principal Resigns Amid Embezzlement Accusations In Saratoga County The principal of a Saratoga County middle school resigned hours after being arrested for allegedly misusing union funds. Maple Avenue Middle School Principal Scott Singer stepped down from his position effective Thursday, Nov. 13. The Board of Education accepted his resignation during its meeting that same evening, Superintendent Michael Patton said in a message to families. Singer, 48, of Ballston Spa, was arrested Thursday following a two-month investigation into alleged misuse of funds tied to his role as an elected officer in the Saratoga Springs Administrators Association, a New York S…

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by Michael Mashburn
Schools
Penn State ‘Explosion’: Person Trapped, Students Evacuated When Floor Drops In New Building Penn State ‘Explosion’: Person Trapped, Students Evacuated When Floor Drops In New Building
Penn State ‘Explosion’: Person Trapped, Students Evacuated When Floor Drops In New Building A loud noise inside Penn State’s new Susan Welch Liberal Arts Building sparked an evacuation and emergency response after a floor suddenly shifted and trapped a person, university officials announced on Thursday, Nov. 13, at 6:30 p.m. The incident happened on Wednesday, Nov. 12, when the floor in the $128 million building dropped about 2 inches, fire officials told WTAJ at the time. The movement created a crack as wide as 1 1/2 inches stretching from the second floor to the roof, according to first responders. Fire crews rushed to the scene after receiving reports of what sounded like an ex…

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by Jillian Pikora
Schools
These Westchester Students Might Change The World — Starting With Their Science Projects These Westchester Students Might Change The World — Starting With Their Science Projects
These Westchester Students Might Change The World — Starting With Their Science Projects Seven high school seniors from Westchester are taking their research to the national stage after applying to one of the country’s most prestigious science contests — the Regeneron Science Talent Search. In an announcement on Monday, Nov. 10, White Plains school district officials said seven White Plains High School students have applied to the competition, which is run by the Society for Science in partnership with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. It is the nation’s oldest and most respected science contest for high school seniors pursuing careers in STEM: science, technology, engineering, and mat…

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by Ben Crnic
Schools
Elementary School Student Dies After TikTok Challenge Accident, NY District Says Elementary School Student Dies After TikTok Challenge Accident, NY District Says
Elementary School Student Dies After TikTok Challenge Accident, NY District Says An Albany elementary school is mourning the death of a young student who died after an accident at home reportedly linked to a dangerous TikTok challenge. The incident occurred Saturday night, Nov. 8, and involved a student from Arbor Hill Elementary School, Principal Rosalind Gaines-Harrell said in a message to families. She called the loss “profoundly sad” and warned parents about the serious risks tied to viral online challenges, which are often promoted as harmless entertainment. District officials said the accident appeared to be connected to a TikTok trend, though no additional deta…

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by Michael Mashburn
Schools
WATCH ‘Bearista’ Starbucks Fight After Cup Sells Out In 1 Day – Here’s How To Get One WATCH ‘Bearista’ Starbucks Fight After Cup Sells Out In 1 Day – Here’s How To Get One
Watch ‘Bearista’ Starbucks Fight After Cup Sells Out In 1 Day – Here’s How To Get One Starbucks fans couldn’t bear the disappointment after the company’s surprise newest holiday item — the viral “Bearista Cold Cup” — sold out nationwide within hours of its release. The Seattle-based coffee chain issued a public apology after the launch turned chaotic, with viral videos showing customers fighting in stores and scrambling to grab the limited-edition item that sold out within hours on Wednesday, Nov. 6. “The excitement for our merchandise exceeded even our biggest expectations,” Starbucks said in a statement to People. “Despite shipping more Bearista cups to coffeehous…

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by Jillian Pikora
Schools
Hackers Send Vulgar Anti-DEI Email To Penn Students, Alumni: University Responds Hackers Send Vulgar Anti-DEI Email To Penn Students, Alumni: University Responds
Hackers Send Vulgar Anti-dei Email To Penn Students, Alumni: University Responds Students, alumni, and faculty at the University of Pennsylvania received a vulgar, inflammatory email from a hacker on Friday, Oct. 31, the university confirmed. The fraudulent message, which appeared to come from Penn’s Graduate School of Education, contained offensive language attacking the school’s diversity and admissions policies. Some recipients said they received the vulgar message multiple times. The full message was shared on reddit: The email allegedly sent by hackers from UPenn. Reddit/r/philadelphia @bpt1047 In a statement posted to its website, Penn said its Office of Info…

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by Jillian Pikora
Schools
One Dead, Six Injured In Homecoming Shooting At One Of America’s Oldest HBCUs: DA One Dead, Six Injured In Homecoming Shooting At One Of America’s Oldest HBCUs: DA
One Dead, Six Injured In Homecoming Shooting At One Of America’s Oldest HBCUs: DA A shooting left one person dead and six others injured on the campus of Lincoln University in Chester County, Pennsylvania — one of America’s oldest historically Black colleges and universities — during homecoming weekend, authorities announced on Sunday, Oct. 26. Officers responded to the 1500 block of Baltimore Pike around 9:15 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 25, for reports of gunfire, according to the Chester County District Attorney’s Office. During a press conference early Sunday morning, Chester County District Attorney Christopher de Barrena-Sarobe confirmed the fatality and said one person …

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by Jillian Pikora
Schools
Teen Accused Of Kicking School Worker To Death Charged With Assault: Report Teen Accused Of Kicking School Worker To Death Charged With Assault: Report
Teen Accused Of Kicking School Worker To Death Charged With Assault: Report A staff member at a Massachusetts therapeutic school was killed after she was kicked in the chest by a 14-year-old student. Now, a news report says authorities have charged the teenager with the death.  Amy Morrell, 53, of Riverside, Rhode Island, worked at Meadowridge Academy in Swansea. The school serves students with emotional and developmental challenges. Authorities said Morrell and other staff were trying to stop a student from leaving her dorm without permission on Oct. 15 when the teen kicked Morrell in the chest. “Shortly after being struck, the victim collapsed,” said Bristo…

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by Josh Lanier
Schools
NY Teacher Caught On Livestream Sexting Purported 13-Year-Old Girl: Police NY Teacher Caught On Livestream Sexting Purported 13-Year-Old Girl: Police
NY Teacher Caught On Livestream Sexting Purported 13-Year-Old Girl: Police A Long Island elementary school teacher is accused of requesting sexually explicit photos from who he thought was a 13-year-old girl. Wading River Elementary School teacher Mark Verity, 37, was arrested by Suffolk County Police Friday, Oct. 17, hours after he was allegedly caught on a livestream admitting to engaging in sexually explicit conversations with a purported minor, as Daily Voice reported.  On Thursday, Oct. 16, the vigilante group Predator Poachers Long Island posted a video claiming it had confronted the teacher during a sting operation. In the clip, Verity allege…

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by Michael Mashburn