BEAUMONT, TX
A former Beaumont Independent School District Assistant Superintendent plead guilty Monday to federal charges involving theft from programs receiving federal funds, according to officials.
Patricia Adams Lambert, 61, of Beaumont, is facing up to three years and four months in prison.
Lambert’s sentencing hearing has not yet been set.
According to the evidence presented in court, this is what occurred:
- Lambert was hired by the School District on June 13, 2002, as a teacher, and on Aug. 28, 2002, she was promoted to Assistant Principal at Vincent Middle School.
- On July 15, 2004, Lambert was promoted to Principal and assigned to French Middle School, and on July 1, 2006, she was assigned to Central Medical Magnet High School as Principal.
- As Principal of Central, Lambert was responsible for oversight of the campus; managing personnel; ensuring proper reporting of grades, testing, and attendance to School District administration; and financial oversight for certain aspects of the campus.
- On May 17, 2012, Lambert was promoted to Assistant Superintendent.
- States are mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 to implement academic assessment tests in order to receive federal funding under the No Child Left Behind.
- The No Child Left Behind requires the Texas Education Agency to develop, implement, and regulate the student assessment tests.
- In Texas, public school students are required to take end-of-year assessment tests at particular grade levels. Students must pass these tests in order to move on to the next grade level or graduate.
- The Texas Education Agency requires that campus principals and test administrators sign “Oaths of Test Security and Test Confidentiality,” ensuring full compliance concerning test security and confidentiality.
- Through words and actions, Lambert created a culture at Magnet High School among the faculty and staff where cheating on standardized tests was accepted.
- Lambert, either directly or indirectly, encouraged teachers and staff to manipulate students’ standardized test scores or had knowledge that cheating occurred.
- Despite the fact that she knew that cheating was occurring on standardized tests, she signed and submitted Oaths of Test Security, including one in January of 2010, as alleged in the indictment, where she falsely affirmed all the requirements governing standardized test security were met.
- The government could prove that teachers would aggregate large numbers of tests and then erase and change incorrect answers to correct answers after students turned their tests; teachers would give students answers while they were taking the tests; and that test manipulation occurred on a regular basis from 2007-2012.
- The Texas Education Agency is mandated by the U.S. Department of Education to administer and regulate standardized testing, including maintaining test security.
- As part of its test security measures, Education Agency requires that teachers abide by all test security regulations and sign Oaths of Test Security.
- These test scores are then communicated to the U.S. Department of Education, who relies on the scores, among other metrics, in determining the appropriate disbursement of federal education funds.
- The falsified oaths were capable of misleading Education Agency or the U.S. Department of Education.
- In October 2007, Lambert took over control of the Magnate High School “All Sports” Booster Club from the parent/volunteers who previously ran the Booster Club. From that point forward, Lambert had access to Booster Club funds by way of the Booster Club checking account.
- From 2007 until 2013 Lambert made purchases of personal items, not related to school activities, by using Booster Club checks and the Booster Club debit card.
- During this same time period, Lambert wrote and signed Booster Club checks fraudulently made out to herself, her relatives, and “cash,” and deposited those checks into her own personal bank account, knowing she lacked the proper authority to do so.
- In addition, during the relevant time period in the indictment, Lambert also had access to the Magnet High School Student Activity funds account.
- From 2007 through 2013 Lambert purchased items, some of which were for her personal use or the use of her family members, and other items not related to school activities, by writing checks on the Magnet High School Student Activity funds checking account.
- During this same time period, Lambert wrote and signed Student Activity fund checks fraudulently made out to herself, and others and deposited those checks into her own personal bank account, or those of her relatives, knowing full well that she had no authority to do so.
- Additionally, from 2007 through 2013, Lambert employed her son, Brian Collins, as the primary “printer” for various items including, but not limited, to pamphlets, flyers, banners, football programs, graduation programs, and instructional materials, and helped secure his payment for these items from Booster Club, Student Activity fund, and the BISD general fund, knowing full well that Collins, rather than doing any actual printing work, was securing the services of an actual printing business, and marking up the price for that work anywhere from 25 percent—215 percent.
During the years Lambert was principal at the Magnet High School, the school generated significant amounts of cash through various means, officials stated.
For example, officials said when students were found with cell phones on campus or lost their student ID cards, they were required to pay a monetary penalty, usually approximately $10, according to officials.
Lambert also established an on-campus snack sales area, located near the cafeteria, where students could purchase candy and chips for approximately one dollar each. This money was aggregated in a file cabinet drawer in the bookkeeper’s office, and Lambert maintained access to this area, officials stated.
Between 2007 and 2012, officials allege that Lambert made regular and substantial cash deposits into her personal bank accounts, totaling approximately $171,525.
From Jan. 1, 2010 through Dec. 31, 2010, Lambert, while an employee of the School District stole, embezzled, obtained by fraud, or otherwise without authority.
During 2010, the School District received in excess of $10,000 in federal funds through various federal grants and programs, officials said.
Codefendant, Victoria Gauthier Steward, 31, of Lake Charles, LA, plead guilty on Dec. 23, 2015 to conspiracy to make false statements, related to the manipulation of BISD test scores and faces up to five years in federal prison.