NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Lamont Taylor of New Rochelle recently held two jobs, one working for the City and the other for the School District. After a reader tip to Talk of the Sound, Taylor may soon have neither.
Taylor worked both for the School District’s Buildings and Grounds Department as a Cleaner at Ward Elementary School and for the City of New Rochelle in the Public Works Department’s Sewers and Drains Bureau.
According to a reader tip, on days he worked for the City as a snow plow driver, he would park his truck in front of Ward School, run into the school, clock-in using the District’s biometric Time & Attendance System, then run back out, hop in his truck and continue along his snow plow route, getting paid twice for the same hours.
Records obtained by Talk of the Sound under a Freedom of Information request, showed Taylor was paid by the City and School District for the same hours on at least one occasion.
According to Taylor’s Sewer & Drains Summary Time Sheet for the pay period 3/17/18 to 3/30/18 he was paid $2,475.79 for 80 Hours Regular Full-Time, $510.63 for 11 Hours at Time and a half, and $185.68 for 3 Hours at Double Time. His Gross pay was $3,172.10; his Net pay was $1,768.93.
During that period he was paid by the City of New Rochelle for snow removal on March 22 and paid by the School District for a portion of that time between 3:39 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. on the same day.
City and School officials conducted their own investigation into Taylor.
The District found additional instances of time fraud. Taylor was terminated by the City School District of New Rochelle on April 25, 2018. The board voted on June 5th to adopt a resolution approving the termination.
The School District time fraud was brought to the attention of City officials who initiated their own investigation. Action on the City investigation of Taylor is currently pending, according to City officials.
“This employment matter is currently under investigation,” said New Rochelle Corporation Counsel Kathleen Gill.