Tanya McDowell

Tanya McDowell is an American woman who served five years in prison after a plea deal related to falsifying her residence to change school districts.[1] McDowell has received national media attention from articles and viral social media posts juxtaposing aspects of her case with Felicity Huffman's 14 day sentence for a federal crime as part of the 2019 college admissions bribery scandal.[2][3][4][5][6] The misleading nature of some media attention led to a Snopes fact-checking entry which argued the Huffman and McDowell cases were not directly comparable.[7]

McDowell received a five-year sentence in a plea deal over numerous charges including felony larceny. The larceny charge was for sending her son to a school in a district they did not reside in. She was also arrested and charged for offering drugs and prostitutes to undercover police officers. McDowell was charged with seven counts in total. McDowell had a previous record of bank robbery and weapons crimes.

Prosecutors from the U.S. attorney's office in Boston in Operation Varsity Blues cited McDowell's case as well as five others in their arguments for the length of prison time for convictions in the admissions scandal.[8][9] Her case has also been cited in discussions of possible barriers to legitimate employment, educational zoning, university admission criteria, and increased oversight and scrutiny in public housing.[8][10][11] In June 2011, minister and activist Al Sharpton spoke at a rally in support of McDowell.[12]

References
  1. "Did Tanya McDowell Get 5 Years for Sending Her Son to a Better School While Felicity Huffman Got 14 Days?". Snopes.com. 19 September 2019. Retrieved 2020-08-23.
  2. Perkins, Julia (September 15, 2019). "Felicity Huffman sentencing compared to Bridgeport mom Tanya McDowell". The Hour. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
  3. "Felicity Huffman Gets 2 Weeks in Jail for Gaming Educational System — Not So Long Ago, a Black Mom Wasn't So Lucky". The Root. 14 September 2019. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
  4. Edwards, Ashley Alese. "This Mom Went To Prison For Enrolling Her Son In A School Outside Her District". www.refinery29.com. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
  5. "Homeless Mom Gets 5 Years, Felicity Huffman Gets 14 Days, Both For 'Stealing Education'". Oxygen Official Site. September 16, 2019. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
  6. "This Mom Went To Prison For Enrolling Her Son In A School Outside Her District". www.yahoo.com. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
  7. Palma, Bethania (19 September 2019). "Did Tanya McDowell Get 5 Years for Sending Her Son to a Better School While Felicity Huffman Got 14 Days?". Snopes.com. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  8. Kroeker, Jo (September 29, 2019). "Connecticut mom's case used to push jail time for parents in college admissions scandal". CTInsider.com. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
  9. Connolly, Lucy (September 16, 2019). "Homeless Mum Given Five Years In Prison For Using Friend's Address To Enrol Son In School". UNILAD. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
  10. Chandra Bozelko. "Opinion | Felicity Huffman got a light sentence. Good". Washington Post. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
  11. "What the Felicity Huffman Scandal Says About America". Inequality.org. Retrieved October 16, 2019.
  12. Wiggin, Teke (June 8, 2011). "Sharpton defends McDowell at NAACP rally". Connecticut Post. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
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