ALBANY - Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo announced settlement agreements with a western New York law firm and a Capital Region attorney ending improper employment arrangements with school districts and various Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (“BOCES”).  The agreements also rescind all public benefits wrongfully received.

The settlements are with the Buffalo firm of Hodgson Russ LLP and Capital Region attorney Maureen Harris, a former partner with the Albany firm Girvin and Ferlazzo, P.C.

“In recent months my office has uncovered long-term and systemic fraud on the public pension and benefits systems which have potentially wasted millions of taxpayer dollars,” said Attorney General Cuomo. “Lawyers representing school districts and BOCES across the state were given public benefits they were not entitled to. Some lawyers have received illegal perks for years and were improperly put on district payrolls. My office will continue to follow this investigation wherever it leads, and we will put an end to this abuse.”

The settlement with the Hodgson firm ends all agreements they had with five BOCES from Monroe County to Buffalo in which their lawyers were improperly listed as employees.  A BOCES provides services to multiple school districts that individual school districts cannot afford to provide themselves.  

The Harris settlement rescinds pension benefits she received while at Girvin & Ferlazzo when she was listed as an employee at the Hamilton-Fulton-Montgomery BOCES. The settlements represent a significant step toward ending improper employment arrangements between lawyers, school districts and BOCES.

Both Hodgson Russ and Harris will also pay $50,000 under the settlements.