Lawyer Says Magnolia Public Schools’ Attempt To Deflect Scrutiny From Illegal Misconduct ‘Disgraceful’

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Magnolia Public Schools’ recent protest at the Turkish Consulate in Los Angeles is a disgraceful attempt to dodge accountability amid growing public pressure over a series of serious fraud and misappropriation allegations, according to international lawyer Robert Amsterdam on Monday.

Amsterdam & Partners LLP – retained by the Republic of Turkey to investigate the activities of Islamic cleric Fethullah Gülen in the United States – recently filed a formal complaint against Magnolia Public Schools in California seeking a full investigation into the financial practices of Magnolia. The company operates 11 charter schools throughout California. The complaint was filed after an audit of Magnolia was unable to verify the propriety of 69 percent of Magnolia’s financial transactions.

“Magnolia should be ashamed of this reprehensible behavior; attempting to use innocent students and parents as human shields to hide their criminal activity,” said Amsterdam, founding partner of Amsterdam & Partners LLP. “Magnolia’s demonstration should be seen as what it really is, a showboat tactic designed to deflect attention from the massive, behind-the-scenes scheme of fraud and illegality operated by Magnolia, Harmony and the other Gülen-controlled charter schools across the country.”

Amsterdam and the Republic of Turkey have launched an international investigation into Gülen – an Islamic cleric living in the United States – over charges that he’s shipped unqualified teachers into the U.S. to educate American students through the H1-B visa program – an abuse of immigration law.

Amsterdam & Partners LLP filed a similar complaint in May against Harmony Public Schools in Texas, which also has close ties to Gülen. The complaints detail a clear pattern of fraud, H1-B visa abuse, and employment and gender discrimination by the Harmony and Magnolia schools, according to the law firm.

That push prompted Magnolia Public Schools to urge its students, parents and alumni to boycott the Turkish consulate in California – a showboat move designed to deflect attention from the school system’s misuse of high-tech visas and accounting irregularities, said the law firm in a press release.

“Fethullah Gülen controls the largest network of charter schools in the United States,” said Amsterdam. “These schools can’t wave the victim flag when they are victimizing the communities in which they operate.”

2 thoughts on “Lawyer Says Magnolia Public Schools’ Attempt To Deflect Scrutiny From Illegal Misconduct ‘Disgraceful’

  • June 7, 2016 at 1:08 pm
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    What in the world does the Republic of Turkey have to with the financial misconduct of a school in the US? How can a foreign country pursue action against a US charter school in the US? Did the Turkish government finish fixing of its schools and now it is turn for the US schools to benefit from their help? Get rid of Turkish hand first before taking an action against a school established and run by the laws of the US.

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  • June 15, 2016 at 8:27 pm
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    Bob, are you a charter school paid troll? As a parent who believes that public funds should not go to private schools and that they are trying to destroy public education I side with the people who want to know why they are here and what’s they are doing with our public funds. Hold them to the same standards that you do public schools with elected board in public meetings that Michael along way towards eliminating their existence.

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