Former ACS Worker Arrested, Accused Of Faking Duties

Yesterday, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced that a former Administration for Children's Services worker was arrested for "falsifying public records in order to cover up her failure to perform required home visits." Stephanie Sabouni, 27, of Brooklyn, was supposed to visited children with chronic school truancy within 48 hours of being assigned cases. However, the AG's office says, "Sabouni allegedly failed to make the required visits in several of her assigned cases. To cover her tracks she made false entries into the ACS computer system reflecting that she had made home visits to several families with whom she never actually met."

Sabouni, who is charged with 14 felonies and one misdemeanor, posted the $1,500 bail and told reporters, "I didn't do anything wrong...If I were to go on national TV, I wouldn't answer every question, but I'd talk about the corruption of the agency." She added, "ACS is at fault for everything. I'm just being used." Sabouni has been teaching at a Brooklyn public school, but the Department of Education fired her upon these allegations.

According to the Post, Sabouni allegedly quit ACS in 2007 when questions about her case visits arose: "In one case, Sabouni later admitted to another employee that she had never met one of the families, the complaint said." Apparently families of the children told ACS they were never visited. Her lawyer told the Daily News, "Nobody was injured as a result of these [documents]... The children she worked with are fine... [She] went to some [homes], but not other homes," and suggested that Sabouni incriminated herself while making statements, because she didn't know she was being investigated.

Sabouni is getting married next month and had planned a honeymoon in Mexico—but the News reports that she was "ordered to hand over her passport."

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on May 28, 2009 10:41 AM

Comments [rss]

whitecastlerock

the George Foreman grill will be good in the big house

The Man Bat

Shouldn't gothamist have a ban on posting pictures of FAT CHICKS in their bikini's....I mean who wants to see this fatcow on the beach pic?!?

everyAframe

I believe I've downloaded a film in which she "arrests" an all-female gang.

Clarice City

Deep fryer on the wedding registry. Artery neglect!

http://macys.weddingchannel.com/gvr/guestregistrydetail.action?retailer_registry_uid=310476777&listby=dept

Clarice City

I suggest you all get a look before they shut the site down because stalker types like myself are looking it up.Enjoy!

NannyState

Ha! It's like watching Wheel of Fortune with this one! Any hope of a porcelain Dalmation for her "bedroom suite"?

NannyState

She'd probably look after children for $150 an hour, which is double her rate on the street.

Manitoba

If, instead of not visiting the kids, she had run them over with a car, she'd be in the clear. Apparently in this city, doing a bad job is a felony but mowing down pedestrians in your car is perfectly legal.

hotstepper

way to bring up a completely irrelevant topic. hot!

Manitoba

Thanks! Anytime I can incorporate the ongoing battle between pedestrians, cyclists and cars, I will bring it, no matter how weak (or non-existent)the connection.

hotstepper

irrelevant posts seem to keep felixthecat happy, so go with it.

New Baby Hitler

I'd tap it. Maybe a wheelbarrow or reverse cowgirl.

hotstepper

i'd hit it.

JacqueMehoff

aren't we wasting taxpayer funds in the AIG bailout? shouldn't they be responsible for their actions and making sure the business would survive?

i'm just sayin. and welcome.

AttorneyAtLaw

The real crime here is the slanted, biased way in which this story is depicted on this website. The reporter chose to use "sexy" pictures of the accused which have nothing to do with the matter at hand. The reporter could have chosen from the scene at yesterday's arrest (the perp walk), but instead stole pics off this poor woman's myspace page, taken at a time when the accused was probably off duty.

Furthermore, shouldn't we be the least bit concerned about the deadbeat parents who don't discipline their kids and make sure they are in school in the first place? Aren't these also the same parents who are wasting taxpayers' dollars by even having to fund a program such as the ACS?

Just sayin'.

Rocknrope

Given that this is your first comment on Gothamist, I'm figuring you're her attorney, a friend, or Steph herself. Welcome! Hopefully you're not her legal representation, as I wouldn't trust a lawyer that uses phrases like "Just sayin'."