Harlem Reverend Calvin Butts of the Abyssinian Baptist Church is still on his crusade to clear the name of Afrika Owes, the former straight-A student who is now sitting in Rikers after being accused of ferrying guns to a Harlem street gang at the command of her boyfriend, who was also doing time in Rikers. But where do you draw the line between Stockholm Syndrome and stupidity? Butts suggests Owes's actions fall within the former, and that she deserves a second chance. Just like Patty Hearst got. more ›

Yesterday Harlem Rev. Calvin Butts asked his congregation to pray for Afrika Owes, the 17-year-old straight-A student who was charged with ferrying guns to Harlem gang on the instruction of her boyfriend, who is currently doing time at Rikers. "She was just led astray as so many have been," he said. "I'm asking for your prayers...save this young woman." Owes was once a part of his church's choir and youth ministry, and her mother still attends the church. Butts said, "We want to believe she was led into this. Our sense ... is that she is not a drug dealer." more ›

A custodian at a city school in Harlem allegedly stole $29,000 from the school's payroll and used some of the cash to send his kids to a costly prep school in Pennsylvania. Edwin Hendricks, 42, reportedly confessed to withdrawing the cash from a Thurgood Marshall Academy custodial account that he was supposed to monitor, but said he "normally only stole money around the end of the year." more ›

A fancy Upper East Side girls’ school is mad a two grandmas, who it says are standing in the way of its expansion to a neighboring building. Both older women live in cheap rent-controlled apartments in 28 E. 92nd Street, and have for forty years. Nightingale-Bamford wants them out, and the women’s lawyer says it’s using mean girl tactics. "They are harassing two elderly women and trying to drive them out of their homes," said David Rozenholc. "I really believe they're heartless. They knew these elderly people lived there when they bought the building. I think it's terrible." more ›

The new Bravo reality show NYC Prep has been ridiculed in many places, but it's mostly bringing shame to the schools where the students/reality show's players attend. In a NY Times Styles section article, parents are uttering things like, “Absolute garbage,” and "Like a bad ‘Dynasty’ episode," about the show that features spoiled teens (including ones who are amazed that teachers wants students "to, like, study during Christmas break") at private schools Nightingale-Bamford School, Dwight School, Birch Wathen Lenox School and the Ross School (in East Hampton) and public school (GASP!) Stuyvesant High School. Administrators are aghast while some parents are upset seeing the show's teens "spend most of their time scheming, partying, eating in expensive restaurants and shopping for $2,000 skirts." But the best quote is from the author of a private school guide, who says, "The schools on this show are all at the bottom"—top schools being Dalton, Brearley, and Collegiate—"There would never be a Brearley girl on this show." Thank goodness for snobbery! more ›

Does NYC's prep school set live up to the antics of the Gossip Girl characters? Even with a reality show following some of the rich kids around, we'll probably never know (which is fine, right?). The NY Post is reporting that Bravo is set to film a new series "that'll give an up-close and personal look at the lives of the latest hottest teens on the planet - New York City's private school kids." The format is allegedly going to be like that of the Real Kids of Orange County webisodes (which features the Real Housewives spawn). Couple that with the fact that no self-respecting Yale-bound preppy would go on basic cable to flaunt their lifestyle, and you pretty much have a show about Real Housewife Jill Zarin's daughter Ally (unsubstantiated!), who has been soaking up the spotlight since before mommy's television show even started airing. No word on if filming has started yet, but the show is expected to air later this year (but don't expect any real-life Chuck Bass's or OMFG-inducing moments). XOXO, etc! more ›