Dominican Teachers Exploited By NYC Principal Over House Lease

According to information obtained by The NY Post, bilingual teachers who were brought from the Dominican Republic to work in New York City public schools have been exploited and treated very poorly by principals.

Reports from multiple sources attest that Bronx principal Emmanuel Polanco and a group of other Department of Education administrators placed nearly a dozen teachers hired from the Dominican Republic in an ostensibly illegal boarding house in the Bronx and charged the teachers $1,450 per month for the privilege.

Several teachers told The NY Post that Polanco and his associates threatened anyone who didn’t comply.

According to teacher Rafael De Paula, 39, the recruits were cautioned: “If you leave, you might get in trouble. You can leave, but if you go, you go back to the Dominican Republic.”

Several teachers who objected to the terms or persisted in finding their own accommodations, including one who wanted to live with his brother in New York City, were fired and sent packing, according to their colleagues. Others are concerned that if they disobey, they will lose their J-1 visas, which allow foreigners to work or study in the United States.

More Insight on Exploitation of Dominican Teachers…

Upon learning about the scam, a DOE source remarked, “It’s a big embarrassment. If they don’t treat these teachers fairly, it might also harm relations between New York City and the DR.”

Since the majority of the recruits lost their jobs in the Dominican Republic when they entered the DOE program, they cannot afford to be ejected because they are responsible for supporting family members who remained behind.

The Dominican instructors cite that their bi-weekly DOE pay, after taxes and other deductions, amounts to approximately $1,800. Until they receive certification from the state of New York, they are paid as substitutes at a rate of about $199.27 per day.

A financial relationship between a superior and a subordinate, including the leasing of property, is prohibited by city regulations.

In a November 2nd email to families, District 10 Superintendent Maribel Torres-Hulla revealed that Polanco, 39, had been secretly dismissed from the Norwood middle school and “reassigned pending settlement of a personal situation.”

The Special Commissioner of Investigation for City Schools has said they are “aware of and are investigating” the situation.

Still on the News…

It’s been revealed that the Association of Dominican-American Supervisors and Administrators (ADASA), a group of DOE administrators, and Polanco manage the leases.

Chancellor David Banks had previously spoken highly of ADASA, stating, “There is no group in our public schools that means more to me than ADASA,” at a press conference on September 15 announcing the hiring of 25 teachers to assist with the inflow of Spanish-speaking migrants.

He continued, “ADASA gets stuff done,” echoing Mayor Eric Adams’ catchphrase.

However, a NY Post investigation revealed ADASA may be lining its own pockets with the hard-earned money of Dominican teachers. According to the teachers, ADASA charges 10 teachers $1,450 per month and one $1,300 for single rooms. A monthly profit of $8,900 would be generated from the $15,800 in rent. According to sources, another ADASA-run Bronx building houses eight instructors, while a third is rented by three teachers.