Utica City School District Superintendent Search Information
April 19, 2024
A statement from the Utica City School District Board of Education on the sentencing of former Superintendent Bruce Karam:
We want to provide an important update regarding the ongoing legal proceedings involving former Utica City School District Superintendent Bruce Karam.
Today, Karam was sentenced for his felony charge of public corruption. This stemmed from the misuse of taxpayer funds to support a political campaign related to the 2021 Utica City School Board election and a non-school-related fundraiser.
As part of the plea agreement, he will serve five years of probation, pay $12,000 in restitution, and complete 250 hours of community service. Karam has also agreed to an additional restitution of $150,000.
The restitution from these proceedings will be directed back towards educating our students—those from whom these resources were unjustly diverted. The Utica City School District will utilize these funds to directly support and enhance learning opportunities for our students in need.
Throughout these proceedings, our district has faced significant financial burdens. The recovery of these funds is a crucial step towards alleviating some of the financial pressures and reinvesting in our educational mission.
Investigations by Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s office, the district attorney, and the State Police uncovered evidence of Karam utilizing taxpayer money and school resources, including labor, stamps, envelopes, and other supplies, for sending election mailers in support of a school board candidate. Additionally, he was accused of using school resources to send invitations for a non-school-related fundraiser for a purported charity run by Louis LaPolla.
Karam's co-defendant, former Utica Mayor and UCSD School Board President Louis LaPolla, accepted a plea deal that includes serving 60 days in domicile restrictions, three years of probation, and paying $3,100 in restitution.
While these legal issues have been ongoing, under the stewardship of Dr. Kathleen Davis, our Board of Education and district leadership have thoroughly examined and scrutinized our operating structure. We've made decisive recommendations for improvements and implemented guardrails and layers of checks and balances to strengthen and fortify the foundation of our school district operations and administration. We remain steadfastly dedicated to fostering a thriving and supportive environment for our students, staff, teachers, and administration.
We are on the road toward closing this challenging chapter for our district. We are immensely thankful for the support and diligence of law enforcement, the Oneida County District Attorney’s office, and the New York State Comptroller’s office in bringing these matters to a resolution. We have the utmost confidence that these agencies have conducted thorough investigations and that appropriate parties are being held fully accountable for their actions.
We appreciate your continued support and patience through this ongoing situation and extend our gratitude to all involved. Please know that we are committed to keeping our community informed and will provide further updates as additional information becomes available.
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