Bronx Teacher Busted For Missing Class

(New York - WABC, December 12, 2005) (WABC) -- A public school teacher in the Bronx could soon be fired for allegedly lying about why he wasn't in class.

Investigators say James Thomas said he was in New Orleans on Katrina relief for the National Guard.

In fact, he was in Brazil on personal business.

Education Reporter Art McFarland is the Fordham section with more.

Thomas had spent 28 years as a chaplain for the National Guard. As of today, he's no longer in the classroom and put on administrative duty by the City Department of Education.

And students we spoke to are surprise to hear what investigators have disclosed about Thomas.

Andy Grullon, Student:"As a teacher, he's a good guy."

Dennis Clark, Student: "He used to help me and he was so kind to me."

You will find a photo of James Thomas on the Internet. It is part of a Web site for the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Bronx where Thomas is the pastor.

But investigators say his sin was against the Department of Education by giving false documents to justify a paid leave from his job as a teacher.

Richard Condon, Special Commissioner of Investigation: "It's actually four school days that he missed and that comes out close to nine hundred dollars."

As outlined in a report by the special commissioner of investigations for city schools, Thomas put in for the leave saying he had been ordered to join his unit in the Air National Guard for duty down south in the cleanup of Hurricane Katrina.

In reality, Thomas went to Brazil for personal reasons. The unraveling of the scheme began with a persistent school secretary who pressed him for a copy of his orders from the National Guard.

Condon: "She told him he would be docked the pay and he came up with the orders. When she looked at the orders, they did not look like any prior orders that he had submitted so she contacted the Air National Guard and they confirmed that he had not been activated. At that point, the principal called us."

A spokesperson for the Department of Education said: "The Department will now move to terminate Thomas."

The commissioner of special investigations said the Air National Guard will allow Thomas now to retire from his job as chaplain of his unit.

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