The following letter was sent today to Jonathon Stark, President of the New Rochelle Fund for Educational Excellence, and Director of Operations at the Columbia Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Design Institute where he has oversight of the Institute’s financial management, human resources, and day-to-day operations.
Columbia Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Design Institute was founded by Richard Witten, a retired General Partner of Goldman Sachs. The Institute’s Advisory Council includes prominent figures such as Alan Patricof, founder of Patricof & Co. Ventures, Ben Fried, Google’s Chief Information Officer, Dr. George D. Yancopoulos, co-Founder, President, and Chief Scientific Officer of Regeneron and many others.
Copies of the email were sent to to NRFund Board Members including School District Officials including Superintendent Jonathon Raymond, School Board President Julia Muggia Ochs, New Rochelle High School Principal Dagoberto Artiles, School Board Member Margaret Bavosa as well as all members of the New Rochelle Board of Education.
Mr. Stark,
Most people in New Rochelle know, after 14 years of Talk of the Sound, that it is not a good idea to draw my gaze. Rest assured, as a result of your refusing to answer questions or produce records, you have my undivided attention.
You will come to realize that I am like a dog with a bone. It would be wise for you to reconsider your position and adopt a policy of full transparency.
At this point, you are in violation of federal law, individually and as President of the New Rochelle Fund for Educational Excellence. I intend to make it my business to hold you, and those supporting you in this, fully accountable.
In keeping with this, please know I have filed a complaint referral with the IRS related to but not exclusively your failure to respond to my repeated requests to inspect/copy various records which you are required by law to make available during normal business hours. My interest has been to inspect/copy your most recent 990 forms and various covered IRS communications.
It is not OPTIONAL for you to make such records available. That said, what was true two weeks ago about my reporting on the New Rochelle Fund for Educational Excellence is no longer true — that I had a few questions and wanted access to the covered records.
Because you have chosen to stonewall my lawful requests for records and not answer any of my questions, I have been left to conclude that you/the NRFUND board, are engaged in a coverup of unethical behavior and possibly criminal behavior. I will now proceed on the basis that this is a criminal matter and leave it to you to prove otherwise.
The only action you/the fund can take now that will satisfy my interest to inform my readers is access to every single record for the past 10 years — every financial statement, budget document, annual list of employees, consultants, board members and board officers, every contract, invoice and payment, every bank statement, check, wire transfer, ATM receipt, every T&E report, receipt, and reimbursement and every other financial record, as well as all board agendas, meeting minutes, and communications to the board. Plus, all IRS tax forms and communications. And anything else I can think of.
In addition, I wish to conduct two or more interviews with an appropriate person associated with the New Rochelle Fund for Educational Excellence — one now and one after I have had a chance to review all the records described above.
Thanks,
Robert Cox
Talk of the Sound
PS, if you or anyone at the Fund continue to believe it is a good idea to stonewall me or that a referral by me can be safely ignored, you have not been paying attention. I refer to you some of my past efforts, including one article from a few days ago.
New Rochelle PBA President Christopher Greco, Out Next Week at NRPD and NRPBA
Former New Rochelle School Official John C. Gallagher, Jr. Released from Federal Prison
New Rochelle Police Arrest Jose Martinez, Recently Resigned Assistant Principal of Jefferson School
If you would like more examples, let me know. My walls are lined with trophies from people who thought it was a good idea to go down the road you are traveling.
RELATED:
IRS Revokes Non-Profit Status of The New Rochelle Fund for Educational Excellence
Federal Complaint Filed Against New Rochelle Fund for Educational Excellence