The Scheming Superintendent with Tracy Clayton

Summary

Scam Goddess Podcast: "The Scheming Superintendent" with Tracy Clayton

Release Date: June 2, 2020
Host: Laci Mosley
Guest: Tracy Clayton

Episode Overview

This episode of Scam Goddess dives into the infamous Roslyn School District embezzlement scandal—one of the largest school frauds in U.S. history, with millions stolen by its charismatic superintendent. Host Laci Mosley and guest Tracy Clayton bring their signature humor and incisive commentary as they hilariously dissect not just the scam, but also the societal factors that allow such fraud to thrive. Plus: notable – and ridiculous – headlines in fraud, the Amy Cooper “Central Park Karen” incident, and Tyra Banks’ multi-level marketing beauty scam. It’s a romp through eye-popping grifts and the culture that makes them possible.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Scam Culture and Personal Anecdotes

• [00:58] Tracy reveals her love for scam stories and admits to feeling scammed daily as a Brooklynite.
• Laci and Tracy riff on the nostalgic drama of MySpace, highlighting early internet “scams” (like the rotating top eight and souped-up pages).
• Both express wariness about New York’s scammy energy:
  • “I feel like, you know, I get scammed every time I walk out my door. I live in Brooklyn...” —Tracy [02:25]

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What’s Hot in Fraud: Hacked Charging Cables

• [05:04] Segment opens with a warning from the LAPD about public charging cables designed to hack devices (“OMG cable”).
• Key takeaways:
  • Avoid using unknown public charging cables (airport stations, bars, etc.) as they can be rigged to steal data [07:20].
  • “If someone gained access to my cell phone, one thing that I feel like everybody does is like… I’m not using Apple’s suggested passcode for shit...” —Laci [09:31]
  • Both discuss how much of their lives are tied to their phones, joking that if someone stole theirs, it would be catastrophic (“You get my phone, you got everything, you got bank account to booty hole” —Laci [10:09])
  • Suggestions: bring your own charger; get a backup battery [14:34].
• Tangent: Extreme paranoia around technology, passwords, and the risks of letting devices remember everything for convenience.

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The Amy Cooper “Central Park Karen” Scandal

• [15:33] Laci brings up the infamous 2020 Central Park incident involving Amy Cooper, highlighting the dynamics of white women's use of state violence.
  • “She was in the Ramble in Central Park... this black man, Christian Cooper, asked her politely to put the dog on a leash... Of course, the caucasity jumped out and she immediately put on her Karen wig...” —Laci [16:49]
• Tracy and Laci analyze how Twitter mobilized to not just cost Amy Cooper her job but also have her dog repossessed [20:07].
• Observational comedy:
  • The phenomenon of white people being more upset about a mistreated dog than attempted violence against a Black man
  • Black people “scamming for safety,” e.g., always walking dogs to seem more palatable to police
• Notable moment:
  • “Black people, that may have to be our new scam—we just go everywhere with a dog, stay alive.” —Laci [21:39]

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Main Scam Story: The Roslyn School District Embezzlement (“Historic Hoodwinks”)

The Set-Up

• [24:45] Introduction to Frank Tassone, charismatic superintendent of Roslyn School District, NY.
• Tassone cultivated a hands-on reputation—personally meeting every student, leading book clubs, eating lunches with kids—ostensibly to “stay in touch,” but really to keep tabs on his marks and control narratives [25:02].
• Tracy notes: “To rob somebody, you gotta be near them pockets.” [26:21]
• The scam’s size: Tassone and business administrator Pam Gluckin embezzled over $11 million, making it the largest such scandal in US school history [27:31].

How the Scam Worked

• Tassone’s charm masked outrageous spending: flashy Mercedes, sharp suits, lobster luncheons for staff—wildly out of step with educator salaries [31:05].
• Laci: “Now when you start flaunting your wealth… you are buying market price lobster for everybody.” [33:05]
• The school’s physical plant—like a leaky roof—remained neglected, even as leaders’ lifestyles obviously improved [34:20].
• Tracy draws parallels to church “building funds” that never result in new construction:
  • “Why the church still falling apart though? What is y’all building? Hope?” [34:24]

Unraveling the Grift

• Massive expenditures: $2.2M on vacations, $50k in flights to London, $33k at the dry cleaner, $56k on a weight-loss doctor, and even a facelift for Tassone [40:06, 41:12].
• Pam Gluckin, meanwhile, used district funds to renovate her Hamptons home and buy jet skis, dog food, and lavish goods [45:01].
• Both involved family: Gluckin’s son charged $85k to the district’s credit for his own contractor business; her niece Deborah Riggiano stole $850k as an accounting clerk [47:31, 52:02].
• Laci: “How y’all got a home in the Hamptons and the school got a hole in the roof?” [45:02]
• They created 74 unauthorized district credit cards for associates and family [52:09].

How They Got Caught

• A student reporter, Rebecca Rombaum, writing for the school paper, got a tip about Gluckin and exposed financial irregularities. Her reporting led to law enforcement and major media catching on [50:10].
• Tracy jokes: “Can you imagine... you just write for the Roslyn Eagle... Everybody got fired today, it’s all my fault!” [50:10]

The Fallout

• Gluckin was sentenced to 3–9 years; Tassone now lives quietly in NY but gets to keep his $173k/year pension [53:30, 54:54].
• Tassone defended himself in a New York Times letter:
  • “Was I robbing y’all? Absolutely. Was I also doing my job while I robbed you? For sure.“ —Laci, paraphrasing Tassone [56:28]
• Reflection on how he made the schools genuinely excellent even as he lined his pockets.
  • “Everyone's happy, right? Who was hurt here?" —Laci [56:37]

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Scammer of the Week: Tyra Banks and the Tyra Beauty MLM

• [57:13] Tyra Banks’ multi-level marketing scheme to sell beauty products (“beautytainers”), revealed via a user’s experience.
• To participate, sellers had to buy starter kits, pay fees, and recruit new “beautytainers” to earn commission [61:28].
• Laci: “Someone on Twitter said, ‘Tyra Banks is my favorite white woman,’ and I died.” [60:34]
• Guest and host delight in the absurd product names (“Oops Eyeliner”, “Smize Eyeshadow Palette”) and the perennial MLM structure:
  • “If I bought the products and then I sold the products, don’t I keep all the profit?” —Laci [63:30]
• The original seller reports a paltry $27.75 in profit after all expenses, illustrating how most MLMs function as scams benefiting only those at the top [69:36].

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Memorable Quotes and Moments

• On Black People and Policing:
  • “You are too damn Black to walk out confidently when police are that close. Which is fucked up.” —Tracy [06:01]
  • “I was like, Shaun King ain’t about to make my GoFundMe. Closing that door right back.” —Laci [06:10]
• On the MySpace Era:
  • “I had the rotating top eight. Cause I'm chaotic good. I'm actually chaotic evil.” —Laci [04:49]
• On Amy Cooper:
  • “She needs to be in somebody’s booth immediately. She does. Because the talent jumped out.” —Laci [15:51]
  • “She turned into Scarlett O’Hara or some shit. Oh, fiddle-dee-dee!” —Tracy [17:53]
• On MLMs:
  • “Imagine getting real drunk on wine. You wake up and you’re in an MLM.” —Laci [69:59]
• On the Superintendent’s Audacity:
  • “He got his ass done and everything snatched.” —Tracy [42:58]
• On Whistleblowing Kids:
  • “I wonder if he has like a vendetta against the girl on the student newspaper. Like, ‘I would have gotten away with it if it wasn’t for you pesky kids!’” —Tracy [56:50]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Scam culture/personal scams: [00:58 – 04:45]
• What’s Hot in Fraud: Hacked Cables: [05:04 – 14:53]
• Amy Cooper “Central Park Karen” deep-dive: [15:33 – 22:34]
• Main scam story – Roslyn School District scam begins: [24:45]
  • Spending details and red flags: [31:05 – 41:12]
  • How they got caught (student reporter): [50:10]
  • Fallout and afterlife: [53:30 – 56:28]
• Scammer of the Week (Tyra Banks MLM): [57:13 – 70:59]
• Notable quotes and meta-discussion: Throughout, especially [33:05; 56:28; 60:34]

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Tone, Language & Banter

• Equal parts incisive, irreverent, and empathetic, Laci and Tracy quickly toggle from comic riffs to real talk about race, power, and survival—never shying from the ugly realities beneath the (often ridiculous) surface of infamous scams.
• Pop culture references abound—from MySpace to America’s Next Top Model—grounding the episode’s tone in shared Black millennial experience and a deep skepticism of institutions.

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For Listeners New to Scam Goddess

This episode is a perfect capsule of the podcast’s style: deeply researched, full of sharp, funny banter, and always attuned to bigger social contexts. If you want to laugh while learning just how wild American scammers can get—especially when enabled by charisma, privilege, and lax oversight—don’t miss this ride.

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Connect

• Laci Mosley: @divalaci on all platforms
• Tracy Clayton: @brokeymcpoverty on Twitter & Instagram; host of Netflix’s Strong Black Lead podcast

Send scam stories or tips to: [e-mail]

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Stay schemin'!

Transcript

[A]

Scams C, Robbery and Fraud. Scams C, Robbery and Fraud. Scam Goddess. What's poppin Congregation? Welcome back to another installment of Scam Goddess. And yes, we are doing these remote episodes. Hanny. I just took a ginger sip from my water, very far away from my computer as I had to buy a new one because I was scammed out of a computer by water. This is Lacey Mosley, AKA Scam Goddess. And I'm super excited. I always say this for our next guest and I am still excited. Guys, something has to stay normal. You've heard her on the Strong Black Lead podcast which she hosts by Netflix. And you've seen her all over Twitter as BrokyMcPoverty, one of my favorite Twitter accounts to follow. I have Ms. Tracy Clayett. Hi.

[B]

Thank. How are you? Stupid. Excited to be here. My dream is only to talk about true crime in any form or fashion. And I think this is only the second time I've been able to do it, like where it's welcome and expected. Usually I'm at like parties like, so who do you think killed JonBenet? And so this, you know, it's a more appropriate situation to discuss. Also, I love a scam.

[A]

Yes. Also, what a throwback. You at the party like over the coup de grace, like. Yeah. So I really still think it was the brother. For the brother record, this happened in 91.

[B]

They still be making shows and stuff about it. Also, I do think it was the brother. I just want to say.

[A]

Oh really? Do you think it was the brother?

[B]

I can't shake the thought. Yeah. Because I mean, nothing else makes sense, you know.

[A]

Right. Cuz why would they cover it up? Cuz JonBenet was about to be that cash cow. She was going to get them all the coins.

[B]

Exactly, exactly.

[A]

They wouldn't kill her. She was a bad bitch. You could never kill. I guess I shouldn't. I guess I shouldn't call a 5 year old a bad bitch. You could never kill. But she was really bad.

[B]

Oh.

[A]

Anyways.

[B]

Oh Lord.

[A]

I like to get canceled at the beginning of the episode. That's when I like to keep your

[B]

teeth white, you know, gotta keep you on your toes, right?

[A]

Yes. So good. Okay, so your relationship with scams, you would say, like, you like scammers, you like scam stories. Have you ever been scammed? Have you ever been involved in anything?

[B]

Oh, absolutely. I feel like, you know, I get scammed every time I walk out my door. I live in Brooklyn, so I mean, that's pretty much what happens.

[A]

Big facts. Big facts. New York, you have to keep. Keep your head on a swivel at all times. I used to live there and it got constantly. It got too stressful for me. I was just. I wanted to fight everybody all the time.

[B]

Yep, yep. Sounds about right. Nothing has changed, in case you were. In case you were wondering. Also, all of my friends are moving to la and I'm just like, what about me? How y' all gonna leave me out here to deal with all this by myself?

[A]

Oh, eventually we gonna get your ass, Tracy. They all have to move at some point.

[B]

Please do. They all have to come up. Please do.

[A]

The light side, but also the dark side.

[B]

They all need good mental health at some point, right?

[A]

Everybody needs a run on Runyon Canyon and a green juice, honey. Eventually, we get you all.

[B]

I don't know about the juice, but yes, I do love a scam.

[A]

Yes. I'm glad. I see the way your face lights up. We met on Twitter and I actually was tweeting people about the show and people were like, you have to have Tracy. You have to have Tracy. And I already followed you and I think you're just so funny and great on Twitter. I was like, absolutely. Like, girl, please. Where I'm sliding in the dm.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

So thank you for responding to my dm.

[B]

You know what I mean?

[A]

I didn't even have to use no egg quartermail Jenners.

[B]

I was like, time and place. I'm a cheap date. I'm easy. One of them fast little girls your grandmama warned you about.

[A]

That's what it is, right? I was as well. I think that's why my mama kept me in the house. Cause she was like, you gonna be trying to be out here. So I never really got to leave the house. I did a lot of thanks shout out to Tom from my me a coder.

[B]

You had to get them. What do you call it? Where the. Where the thing is. Not like the values or whatever. I done forgot all of my MySpace Academy.

[A]

Oh, the HTML. Oh, yeah. Come on now.

[B]

You know you graduated from my scrolling text.

[A]

Yes, I sure did.

[B]

And then I had everything.

[A]

I had a souped up page. I had the music. I remember I had Me and you by Cassie. I been waiting. If you're gonna make that move, tell her if you like it. That was on my page, yo. Cassie has to thank MySpace for her career turned.

[B]

But wow, that is a theory that needs examining. I had new podcast.

[A]

I had the rotating top eight. Cause I'm chaotic good. I'm actually chaotic evil. So then every time you Come to the page. You'll be a new person at number one. Keep all my friends on their toes.

[B]

You got to. You got to. Don't sleep.

[A]

All right, guys, let's get into it. We're gonna start with our first segment here. What's hot? And fraud. And this actually comes from the LAPD Facebook account, which is not a place I like to frequent. I really don't fuck with the police.

[B]

Yeah. How you get over there?

[A]

Yeah, you know, shout out to Sherrilyn Vera, my research assistant. Cause she goes places I will not go. One of those places is the LAPD website. I just be scared clicking on it. I be scared clicking on it. They gonna see me.

[B]

You know,

[A]

literally, the other day, a cop was at my neighbor's door. I think they had, like, a child custody issue. Nothing like crazy, but the daughter didn't wanna go to the daddy house. Was I listening through the peephole? Absolutely. But I opened the door. Cause I was about to go on a little walk, and I saw the police officer. Girl, why I just close the door back and go back in my house? You know?

[B]

You know damn well why you just closed the door and went back in the house. Cause you are too damn black to walk out confidently when police are that close. Which is fucked up. Mm. Mm.

[A]

I know. It's so fucked up. And there's so much crazy stuff happening in the news, and sadly, it's no different than it has been years previous. But I was like, nope, not today. I was like, shaun King ain't about to make my GoFundMe closing that door right back. Whoo.

[B]

Shout out to Talco Mix. Ooh.

[A]

Shout out to Martin Luther Scheme. That's a topic for another day, honey.

[B]

Ain't it, though?

[A]

Ooh. It's a lot. I'm currently researching it, and there's a lot of deep diving happening. And it's very fun and also very sad.

[B]

But are you gonna do an episode on Sean King?

[A]

I think that I am, Tracy. I think that I am. Oh, my God. I've been flirting with it for a minute, but there's just too stuff. You know, he once raised money to climb a mountain, then did not climb said mountain. Just crazy shit. Crazy shit.

[B]

How much money does it cost to climb a Mountain? Apparently $80,000. Mountain's not in nature, girl. Was it Kilimanjaro? What the hell? He.

[A]

He booed out his whole family. Listen, I can't get into all of this, but, y', all, we will eventually get into this, because it's just too Much tea out here.

[B]

I'm excited for that episode.

[A]

That's crazy.

[B]

Absolutely.

[A]

But the LAPD website. That's what I'm supposed to be talking about. I could barely talk about it. Fraud Friday is what they call it. And they said that they wanted to reach out to their constituency, the people that they terrorized, you and me. And they said, look, we taking a break from beat y' all asses today to warn you about some scams happening in the Zeitgeist. So apparently there's. Right, I guess. Child, they said, we have used all. Okay, so it says we've all used charging cables to charge up our phones in public areas. But whose charging cable are you using? What may look like an ordinary charging cable could contain software that's specifically designed to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorized access to a computer system or a phone. Some information may be stolen from your devices, including passwords and other sensitive information. There are hackers tasked with breaking into the computer systems of major companies or average citizens to explore exposed vulnerabilities. So while many might think that modifying a charging cable would be expensive or complicated, it's not. Once you're exposed, it's relatively easy for the hacker to get a hold of your personal information. Now, I don't know about you, Tracy, but if somebody got a hold of my phone's information and, like, could unlock everything, I would be fucked.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I. I'm so paranoid about some shit like that happening to me. Like, I'm never caught without my charger in public because I'm just, like, number one, you never know we're gonna get stranded somewhere and you might need to call a cab so you don't get serial killed. Right.

[A]

Like, I structured my whole life about

[B]

getting serious, not being serial killed. Exactly, exactly. So, I mean, like, I never want to have to, like, ask a stranger for, like, a charge, like, to use a phone or nothing like that. I just don't. I just don't trust people. And you know what? This story is why you shouldn't.

[A]

Right? That is so messed up, right, that the free. Because, you know, it's been a really popular thing now, like, in the airports and other public places where they'll have little charging stations so you can just roll up and be like, oh, thank God. It's already sitting there. They have it at bars now. So it's like, bring your own cord, guys. I.

[B]

Absolutely.

[A]

And what was fascinating to me about this is I was like, if someone gained access to my cell phone, one thing that I feel like everybody does Is like, look, I'm not using Apple's suggested passcode for shit look here, Steve Jobs. No, I'm not using your fucking sentence of numbers and letters so that I can never remember how to get into my Instagram again. Like, I'm not doing that.

[B]

Exactly. Exactly. I don't even. Like, it took me a long time to even start, like, having my devices store my passwords, like, just in case. Because I was just like, as soon as somebody gets my phone, then they have my whole life, my bank account, my everything.

[A]

Yeah, you get my phone. You got everything. You got bank account to booty hole. Anything you need, any fingerprint. Ok?

[B]

She be doing it like that on the phone.

[A]

It's over for me.

[B]

I ain't judging.

[A]

Oh, you out there. Like, you lose your phone.

[B]

Listen, you learn something new every day. So if you lose your phone, then basically you're gonna have to leak your own nudes. Like, immediately. You just gonna be like, well, listen,

[A]

look, they out here, right? Well, I more mean metaphorical booty hole. Cause I actually don't take nudes. And that's. I know that's because I'm just like. I remember once a guy who was actually famous. I can't say his name, but he was texting and was like, ooh, you know, like, send me a picture. And I sent him a picture of my face and he was like, oh, let me see something else. And I was like, a nude. And he was like, I mean, yeah. And I was like, okay. So I took a photo and then I drew a body with some boobs on it and some ass. And I sent that to him. I was like, here you go. Here go my nudes.

[B]

You like them rate a 1k?

[A]

I look cute, right? I try to do it in the mirror for you. Like, bro, you out of your damn mind. People are getting leaked out. Like, if I was in a career where there was an anonymity and more privacy, maybe. But these days, everybody's phone getting hacked. I ain't having my booty hole out here on the Internet, like Vanessa Hudgens. No shade.

[B]

Exactly. And I don't. And I don't think I'm like, technologically advanced enough to like, keep that from happening, you know? So I just, like, just, just don't. I'm gonna have to get a burner phone to do some freaky shit, right?

[A]

We gotta go get a flip phone.

[B]

Give me a good little flip phone, right?

[A]

And then I gotta get BAE a flip phone. Cause the gifs, the photos will only develop on that Low of technology.

[B]

That's real.

[A]

That's how you know. Pixelated as shit.

[B]

Like, what is this?

[A]

I know your shit looking like a. Like a puzzle. They're like.

[B]

I don't know.

[A]

The pieces don't seem like they where they supposed to be. Yeah, you gotta move around a little bit.

[B]

Is it a picture of a mountain?

[A]

No, it is a titty. You just gotta keep. You gotta look at it in the light and squint.

[B]

You got squint one eye up. Yep. Stand on your left foot until your head.

[A]

Right.

[B]

Bam. Nipple.

[A]

All that for some nipple. All that. But yeah, like I. I have the same like three or four passwords for everything. So if you got one variation, like, you probably set on me, like, you could just go ahead and rob me.

[B]

Well, good to know. Thanks for telling everybody your cheat codes. Somebody gonna be like, oh, I gotta go get lazy.

[A]

Fall right. Listen, I keep it close to my chest. I know I'm gonna get the brain cancer. Cause my phone is always near my head. I was like, well, this just is what it is.

[B]

Not bad.

[A]

It is what it is. So, guys, if you're out there and you're desperate for a charge, guys, as we always say with the despo meter, we know y' all be getting desperate. Maybe you got an important phone call, maybe you got somewhere to be. Maybe this is the first post quarantine booty call of your life. And you just trying to make it make it to the house. Watch out for just cables that are sitting around. There's one cable called the OMG cable that can cost about $200. And this cable cord can take control of a Mac computer remotely gaining access to passwords and sensitive information. So if you see anything with OMG on it, definitely don't use that

[B]

remotely. Dang.

[A]

I know. And this kind of stuff has been happening. There used to be voyeurs. I don't know if they still do this, but when you would go to the gas station, there would be people who had hacked into the systems that you can pay for on the outside, external gas station places. And they would be lingering nearby to steal your card information and stuff. Like, so people have been.

[B]

I remember that. I remember that.

[A]

And they keep elevating as much as we get ahead of them. You know, the scam industry constantly evolves. And that's why I love it. The ingenuity. You know what I'm talking about? Like, just right, right, right. Motivated, Right? So if you guys are out there and you need to charge your phone, just check out the cable first maybe just bring. Do what I do if you can afford it. I have a car charger cable that I only have in the car. I have a cable that I leave at the house and I have a cable that I put in my purse. You can put it in your man wallet or whatever you carry. And that way you don't have to like. Because I used to bring them back and forth and I'll always lose them.

[B]

Uh huh. Yep. Also get you a little rechargeable battery pack. They're small these days. Charge them up for you, lead a house. Because up here in New York I'm just like car charger. I ain't got one. I don't have a car to put that in.

[A]

Oh, right.

[B]

There are options.

[A]

You're right. You're right. You on the train. You're absolutely right about that. You are on the train. And I don't know if it.

[B]

On the train with the Roman.

[A]

Some of the trains that have plugs though, don't they? Am I crazy? Is that just the white people train, babe? I feel like I've charged Williamsburg. Cause you know, the white area's got water.

[B]

Oh, the white area's got everything. The white area's got gold watermelon, Right?

[A]

No cops waiting at the entrance to beat you over A$25.$75.

[B]

Exactly. They help you get off the train. It's wild.

[A]

It's like you're here to help me. Police.

[B]

What? Champagne for me? Oh, my gosh, thanks.

[A]

So sad, so sad. The times that we live in. All right.

[B]

It is. We laugh to keep from being dep.

[A]

Right. Literally. That's why black people are constantly laughing. I know. This is in the Zeitgeist. I do just have to mention this. That woman, Amy Cooper, that Twitter ruined her life.

[B]

Yes, ma'. Am.

[A]

Shout out to Twitter.

[B]

Amy Cooper ruined her own life.

[A]

Amy Cooper ruined her own life. Yes. But then Twitter really took it upon itself to make sure that it was extra ruined. And I just gotta say, shout out to whoever found out where she adopted that dog and contacted the dog. If you haven't heard this story, there was a white woman in Central Park. They're calling her Central Park Karen. Her name's Amy Cooper. She is a scammer and an excellent voiceover actress. She needs to be in somebody's booth immediately. She does. Because the talent jumped out. It really did. She was in the Ramble in Central Park. If that's a familiar place for you with her cocker spaniel off the leash. The leash laws state that she the dog needed to be on the leash. It was disturbing bird watching areas that the bird watchers were trying to, you know, get they bird on, watch their birds. I don't know what they do, champ. Seems very peaceful.

[B]

I think you got it. I think that's what they do. I think they watch a bird.

[A]

Okay, I think so. I think so. It just seems so simple, you know what I mean? Like, I feel like they. They gotta have more complex things that they be doing. But fine, so they're watching birds. And if you say so, Tracy, they're watching birds.

[B]

I do. I insist.

[A]

And so she got her dog off the leash, running all crazy. And this black man whose also last name is Cooper, hilarious enough, Christian Cooper. They probably related. It's probably some ancestry dot com, like Amy Cooper, somebody.

[B]

Look, somebody's ancestor owned something in them two families.

[A]

So he asked her politely to put the dog on a leash. Of course, the caucasity jumped out and she immediately put on her Karen wig and decided to call the police on this man. And he started filming her. And she said, I'm gonna call the police and I'm gonna tell them that there's an African American man attacking me. And I wish I was joking, but that's about how she sounded

[B]

like she turned into Scarlett o' Hara or some shit. Oh, fiddle day. D. What am I to do? There's a big scary African American. And the way that she said that shit, like, she. Like, I'm gonna tell them there's an African American man out here. I was like, you know what you doing? You know what you are about to do?

[A]

African American Negro.

[B]

He wouldn't get off the sidewalk as I passed. I nearly died a frat.

[A]

He whistled at me, I swear. Swear for God, he whistled at me. He placed those two big lips together like sis. So she did a whole fake phone call. And like, honestly, Amy Cooper is a scammer. And I really kind of want to look into her past because, boy, that acting was superb. She started choking out the dog. I don't know if she meant to do that on purpose, but she yoking the dog up by the car.

[B]

She was too. She was too into it, too into it. And like the whole time she's dragging this poor little dog around like a. Like a rag doll. The dog's like pawing like, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. Amy, Amy, chill. Hey, real quick, real quick, though, real quick. Time me out, bitch. I can't breathe.

[A]

Literally, the dog was like, I can't breathe right? And what's crazy to me Is when I really started to analyze the video. I was like, so if there was no videotape, it would just sound like the woman is like, I was watching my dog and a negro came. And then her dog's like, I help Negro. I firm Negro. So the cops probably hear that and they're like, oh, this woman is in distress. And her dog is like, negro, Negro, get the rifles.

[B]

Even the dog is calling them out.

[A]

Dog's like, farf, barf, Jim Crow, bring the hoses. Arf, arf.

[B]

And a German shepherd.

[A]

That dog is like, you just know his ancestors. Like, look, my ancestor was a police dog the 60s. Like, this is what we do, right? Meanwhile, the dog in real life is getting choked out. And I just want to say shout out to whoever on Twitter figured out where she adopted this dog and had the dog repoed. Yeah, man, I've never seen that.

[B]

How. How does Twitter do what it does? Like, off that grainy ass photo, Somebody said, let me hack into the mainframe real quick. It's her whole fucking life.

[A]

That photo is about the quality of what my nudes would be on my fl.

[B]

Exactly. The verta phone.

[A]

And yet someone has taken that and cross referenced it, found out where this woman adopted this damn dog. And the same day, just a few hours after the incident, they pulled up and said, run me the dog.

[B]

I have never heard of that happening, but I guess why would I? You know who else is out here doing that to dog?

[A]

Oh, my God. And the sad part is on Twitter, like, obviously, like, people. There are a good amount of people who are upset about Christian Cooper and how this woman obviously was gonna try to use state sanctioned violence to kill this man. But there are so many people who are just genuinely upset about the dog that I was like, oh, my God, maybe having a cat isn't enough. Maybe I need to get a dog and just walk around with that shit everywhere I go, like, look, I'm a human.

[B]

I have a dog. I think so. And that way, at least if, like, the cops get you, somebody be like, well, at least she had a dog, so she's a good person, right?

[A]

I'm, like, holding the dog in front of my chest and my head, like, please don't shoot.

[B]

Right? Like, don't shoot. Don't shoot us. Don't shoot us or him. Don't shoot him.

[A]

If that's really how y' all feel. But see, he's blocking me. So.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Black people, that may not have to be our new scam was we just go everywhere with a dog that's how we stay alive.

[B]

Maybe we should reclaim German shepherds, right?

[A]

Ooh, that seems like it'll be a lot of retraining. Like, every day you get home. You like?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I'm not Poochie. Let go of my wrist. Poochie. I was gonna call her.

[B]

Oh, Poochie. I thought you said uchi, as in uchiwali.

[A]

And I was like, oh, that's a good name for a dog, too. I like Uchiwali. Me and my.

[B]

A dog named Uchiwali.

[A]

Wally. Staying safe in these streets, okay? Cha.

[B]

Bang bang. Safe and alive.

[A]

But shout out to Twitter for taking that woman's dog and her job. You know, maybe think twice next time y' all want to fake a whole scene, a crime scene, just think twice about it.

[B]

Especially if there's a camera in your face. Like, maybe just be logical a little bit.

[A]

She was cocky. She was really cocky.

[B]

She was.

[A]

Cause she was running towards that man.

[B]

She was wild.

[A]

Talking about, get away from me.

[B]

Grabbing at him, grabbing for his phone as she does it.

[A]

Which reminds me of. This is a deep cut for you guys. If you've ever watched Flavor of Love, it was the first episode of season two. Safaree, who's one of my personal heroes, she got into a fight with a woman over a bed, and she's clearly beating this woman up, but she has pulled this tiny little woman on top of her and is punching her in the head, talking about, get off me. Get off me.

[B]

Then she offered us some lip chap later.

[A]

That's essentially what Amy Cooper tried to do. She was like, get off me.

[B]

Get off me.

[A]

No one is on you if this wasn't horrible.

[B]

Also, I love that reference, by the way. I love Play with love so fucking much. You don't understand.

[A]

Love it same. I've rewatched it all during quarantine. That was like, week one of quarantine. I was like, I guess I'm rewatching Flavor of Love and then Rock of Love, Bust, and then Time Squad, because it was a.

[B]

Did you rewatch Ray J's? What was it called? For the Love of Ray J. I

[A]

have not rewatched for the Love of Ray J. I gotta go watch that.

[B]

Cause that girl, the taggy tattoo smashed the homies. Deja. She smashed the homies.

[A]

Oh, slut. Shaming in its peak, you know?

[B]

Oh, man. The good old days. Am I right?

[A]

It's like that song. I know. Beyonce always tries to forget. Remember Nasty puts it some clothes on.

[B]

Mm, I sure do. Not gonna say anymore Because I don't want to be half.

[A]

Coming up. Listen. A patriarchy bop. Okay.

[B]

Hey, they happen. They happen. Sometimes you gotta make the best out of the toxic, out of the toxicity that you were taught. Yes. That's how she did.

[A]

All right, guys, we're gonna take a quick break. We'll be right back. Scams, guys. We are back. And I look like Tracy's reporting live from the sauna. She's got a whole booth set up here.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

I love it.

[B]

Listen. It's so hot, y'.

[A]

All. So we're back with Historic Hoodwinks, and this is where I regale Tracy with a story of a historic caper or hoodwink. And we'll get her opinions all throughout. So feel free to interrupt at any time, Tracy. I want to hear all of your thoughts. This.

[B]

I'm so excited.

[A]

This is another scam. We keep having this happen. A lot of the scams that we cover either have been turned into movies or are in the process of becoming a film, I guess, because they're just so fun. So this one is actually based off of, I believe, bad Education. And the leader of the scam, his name is Frank Tesson, and he was a former superintendent in New York's Rosalind school district. So this charismatic administrator. Charismatic scammer. Allegedly insisted on personally meeting each and every new student. Now, mind you, he's the superintendent, so that's not like the principal, where you got to meet everybody at your school. He said, run me all the PSS 1 through 18, and I'm gonna meet every little New York baby we homeschooling.

[B]

Damn it. I don't trust him.

[A]

Right. Why you trying to shake up all my kids? What you need to know. But I guess he's trying to get in touch with his constituency child. I guess he made a point of regularly lunching with high school pupils. He even led a book club for the district's parents. Now, what this touches to me on. Cause obviously he gonna do some fraud.

[B]

Mm.

[A]

I feel like if you trying to be with the people this much, it's so you can keep tabs on what the people saying.

[B]

Yup, yup. Also, to rob somebody, you gotta be near them pockets. Gotta know where your target is and what they do, Right? Yeah.

[A]

You gotta eat lunch with them and be like, let's see who eating the square pizza with chocolate milk. Or see who getting Chick Fil a brought to them by their mama at lunch. Who got got the coins?

[B]

Who got the potato triangles in here? Me.

[A]

Listen, who got the stamped cucumbers if you got some cucumbers that look like clover leaves. I just saw this on TikTok. It's moms out here using food stamps. Like little cookie cutters. Food stamps, child cookie cutters. You see, I'm not that type of. I have no kids. I'm a single mom with no kids. But I would not be that kind of mom. So if I see you out here and your sandwich got the crust cut off in the shape of a heart and shit, I know your mama don't have to work, right?

[B]

You rich. I'm gonna see you in the alley after school.

[A]

We definitely coming for your pockets. So he later admitted to embezzling millions of dollars from the school district with the help of his colleague Pam Gluckin.

[B]

Shout out to me, Pam, Pam, Pam. I love Pam. Just because her name is Pam.

[A]

Right? I wonder if it's. It's gotta be Pamela, right? They just calling her Pam Gluckin. I like it. The case involved into multiple arrests and millions of dollars that would later become known as the largest school embezzlement scandal in U.S. history. Tasson had been in the school district for 10 or 12 years, and in that time, he had grown the school district to the point of national prominence. So the town itself was doing well because of the regard of the school district directly tethered to things like property value. So he was also taking the coin. We all know a good school district also usually has very high taxes because it's like a place that people want to move.

[B]

Right.

[A]

I've never had to purchase a home, obviously, because I live in Los Angeles, and I'm just really not ready to spring for that one best, that half bathroom, one bedroom, million dollar home. I'm not ready for that. Nope.

[B]

Nope.

[A]

But in places where housing is a bit more affordable, like Texas, where I'm from, the school district that I was in was really good, and the taxes were very high in the neighborhood, which is also a way of kind of like gerrymandering and keeping people of color out trash.

[B]

Absolutely.

[A]

So he got the school district popping, popping, and the administrators were asking for more and more money because they were doing an incredible job. So the taxpayers were happy to oblige, said Mack Makowski, a former student who later went on to write the drama Bad Education. So he wrote the movie about his school. Mm, mm, mm.

[B]

Okay, okay.

[A]

So all their kids were getting into amazing schools and doing great on their SATs, and property values were soaring. And in 2004, the Wall Street Journal named Rosalind hi the 6. Best Public High school in the nation. This is very. Yeah, right. Number six. And you're a public.

[B]

That's high in the nation. The nation is big. It's a lot of schools in the nation.

[A]

I mean, like, you don't have to go to Mississippi and look into the day schools, but for the most part, it's a lot of schools. Shout out to Mississippi. Y' all can go beat my ass, but Google it. Your education is strange.

[B]

They might come beat your ass, though.

[A]

I know they might. But listen, my daddy. My daddy from Jackson, Mississippi, okay? He got into Princeton. I'm not saying the people are stupid. I'm just saying y' all educational system is bad.

[B]

And that's why people fought.

[A]

So it is. You know, you don't have to look too far.

[B]

Yep, yep, very true.

[A]

Never do. So every episode, I just wanna see how far I can go. How far y' all gonna let me go before you pull the plug. Someone just comes over here and pulls the plug out of my computer.

[B]

It's like, no more. That's enough. That's enough.

[A]

Ma', am, you will not. You cannot talk on the Internet anymore. We said no.

[B]

This is why y' all can't have nothing.

[A]

Exactly. This is why we can't have nice things. So this very affable, charismatic person who placed real emphasis on quality of education and helping students, was at the same time taking money from the coffer and was part of an $11.2 million larceny scheme. So obviously they're talking about Tasson. Like, he seems like the Mother Teresa of schools, and he's also the motherfucker of the school as well, because he's robbing the shit out of them.

[B]

Right?

[A]

So this is how they spent some of the money. There were details about Tassone, who Hugh Jackman plays in this movie, Bad Education that didn't add up. So he drove a Mercedes, he wore sharp suits and served lobster tails at a luncheon.

[B]

Okay, wait, you post to lay low, My dude, you did the exact opposite. Lobster. Like we would've let you.

[A]

It is like, flashy.

[B]

But lobster.

[A]

You mean the fish from the tank

[B]

that cost a lot of money from

[A]

the fish from the tank? Lobster.

[B]

The little. The big ass bug that celebrities always trying to free from grocery stores and shit. That one. Really? And, like, did he serve them, like, at school in the cafeteria?

[A]

You remember that?

[B]

When somebody tried to free some lobsters?

[A]

That's crazy. No, I don't remember that. That is wild. I did not know.

[B]

I cannot remember which white boy it Was, I think it one of them. One of them. I think it happened in Kentucky. And he was just like, I just wanted to free the lobsters. Like he had like smashed a big ass tank of lobsters,

[A]

you know?

[B]

You know what?

[A]

Can you just to have the free time to be white. I'm googling this because now I want to.

[B]

Yes, I hope, I hope I am correct. Now.

[A]

I can't find anything on it. But okay, we're circle back. But lobsters, guys. And the issue here is, okay, one, you're driving a Mercedes. That's already a lot because, you know, you work in education, which I wish that more people in education could drive a Mercedes, ladies, because they don't get paid a enough and you wearing sharp suits, okay? You got the number six high school in the nation. We'll let you have a little Perry Ellis or you know what I mean?

[B]

Right? You gotta look good, you know, impress the people.

[A]

Now when you start flaunting your wealth where you're not eating lobster at a luncheon by yourself alone, you are buying market price lobster for everybody.

[B]

Multiple lobsters at the same time with no payment plan, with no lobster layaway, you just gonna walk in with all the lobsters.

[A]

No lobster layaway. He came in like Oprah. He said, you get a lobster, you get a lobster, you get a lobster. That sounds like some Frank Tasson would do. That's some very frank testone ass.

[B]

Okay, I have a qu. I have a. I have a question about this luncheon. Is it happening, like, because in my head, it's happening in like an elementary school lunchroom and they're eating like these big beautiful lobsters on these like little square plastic trays, right?

[A]

With the plastic knife and the fork. They still gotta drink chocolate milk with it. Then it's like, you couldn't get us no juice for the lobster. Like, nah, y' all still gotta drink that chocolate milk. It gonna go bad tomorrow, right?

[B]

Also, I spent all this money on the lobsters, right?

[A]

You're lucky y' all got butter. Now drink that chocolate milk and eat that lobster, okay?

[B]

And shut the fuck up.

[A]

Michelle Obama could never. So obviously he out here looking like a little too rich. And in spite of increasing budget requests, which seem to always be met, the school's roof continued to leak.

[B]

All right, now, friend, that sound like my church. You know how you keep giving to the.

[A]

Oh, the building fund.

[B]

Why the church still falling apart, though? What is y' all building? Hope.

[A]

So when are we ever gonn. When is we actually gonna ever build something with the building fun. Because it's been a few years, Pastor. It's been a few years now. Pasta. And yo, that reminds me. That reminds me of my old church home. And I had a pastor. He might be dead now. Reverend Jackson, I feel like he probably. He probably did, but he was very charismatic, and he was a scammer, and he was just like, oh, my God. One of the best sermons. Like, he. When he started really preaching, get to sweating. And he could sing a little bit, and he would be sweating.

[B]

Amen.

[A]

He will be sweating. All right now. He was so good.

[B]

Thank you. Thank you.

[A]

And I've never. Yep, you be the one. We got a fan. We had to get the fan out.

[B]

Absolutely, absolutely. When you see me stand up and start stretching. Get ready.

[A]

And our building fun. Right? Right. We about to start stomping, stomping and running. And for the white listeners out there, that's what black Baptists do also. Who else does this? Who speaks in tongues?

[B]

Pentecostal.

[A]

Pentecostal.

[B]

Pentecostal.

[A]

I think there are a lot of Baptist

[B]

apople. How you say it? Apostolic apocalypse. We close apocalypse.

[A]

Close enough, close enough.

[B]

Apocalypses.

[A]

Yes. But we like to. We like to turn up in church and run around and have a good time. But, yeah, I'll never forget when he started stealing from the church because he started changing up the sermons. He would be like, oh, no, I know y' all women is going. Going to Dallas, which was the big city in Texas for us. This is in Terrell, Texas. Shout out to Terrell. He's like, I know y' all going to the big city and y' all done saved up your money, but why are you spending your money on clothes when you need to be spending your money on God? And by God, I mean me and the building fund. So Frank Tasson has an everlasting building fund, AKA the school. Now, Frank, I know you needed. I know you went to Gucci and you probably treated yourself. I know you went and got these lobsters. I thought perhaps that people wouldn't notice. But fixing the roof should have definitely been higher up on the priority list. As in, everybody's gonna see the roof is broke.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Every day.

[B]

And they're gonna notice when it's not fixed, you know?

[A]

Yeah. Like, how long did you think they weren't gonna notice that the roof was not.

[B]

It should have at least been top five, you know, go to Gucci, buy out the bar, get some lobsters.

[A]

Right. Fix the roof, fix the rules, and

[B]

then go to, I don't know, Maui or wherever you Go wherever rich people go.

[A]

Right. I just feel like you gotta. You gotta put before you pull up to Mercedes. I think you really do need to pull up to Home Depot. Yeah, Like, I feel like that's gotta be the first stop. I mean, then you go to Mercedes. Yeah.

[B]

It'll make you look better, and maybe you won't get the fuck caught. Maybe.

[A]

Right? So obviously things aren't adding up. So while playing the role of devoted superintendent, remember. Cause he loved to go to lunches with everybody, and they could. And he was also siphoning off $2.2 million on vacations to the Caribbean. You said it, Tracy. Rent on an Upper east side apartment, $33,000 worth of local dry cleaning.

[B]

I mean, you gotta get the Gucci, right? He gotta get all them Steve Harvey suits together.

[A]

Listen, you ain't wrong about that. And you need a good dry cleaner. Cause for a long time, I didn't have a good dry cleaner. And I used to do it in New York, too, where I just dropped my clothes off, bruh. I didn't notice until I moved that all my designer T shirts were gone. YSL shirts. The life of Pablo before Kanye was problematic. Like, they was just stealing my designer clothes.

[B]

You know what?

[A]

And I would drop off pounds of laundry.

[B]

That's so.

[A]

I had no idea.

[B]

Oh, no. This is so funny to me, because my. I don't mean to put my family on the spot. Like, heaven. My brother, his favorite thing was to buy clothes from his dragon.

[A]

I love that.

[B]

And I was like, wait, is this legal? And he's just like, you know, they just. There. And I was like, well, they belonged to someone at first. And he was like, well, maybe they don't want him.

[A]

Me and your brother need to fight.

[B]

Look, after the show, I will give you his coordinates. Because he probably bought one of his.

[A]

Give me his coordinates. Listen, actually, though, I need to hit him up and be like, so where do I do this? Because if I got to buy back my designer clothes, so be it.

[B]

I mean, he would have been cheaper

[A]

than the first time I bought him.

[B]

Right?

[A]

I'm just be straight up with my dry cleaner. I'm like, look, I know y' all stole my shit. Now, how much to get it back?

[B]

We gonna keep the cops out of this, Gonna keep the law out of it. Just, you know, one on one, right?

[A]

They're like, you black, you're always gonna keep the cops out of it. I'm like, you right about that.

[B]

I saw you.

[A]

I am a white woman. I am a white woman. Okay by the time you get here, I will be white while you're choking a dog. African American, right? I got the dog yoked up to the mic.

[B]

Dog's like, irf, give her her shirts. Arf.

[A]

Arf. Right?

[B]

Arf.

[A]

So $33,000 worth at his local dry cleaning. I mean, money well spent. So you get your clothes back down and $50,000 in flights to London. Just specifically to London.

[B]

Oh, wow.

[A]

He got hoes in something, I'm assuming across the pond. Yeah, he must have hoes in different area codes for show. For show.

[B]

He said, I'mma flew myself out postal codes.

[A]

He flew himself out a lot. $56,645 of the school's funds he used to pay a Manhattan weight loss doctor. Frank was also going to Vegas, like, two or three times a year.

[B]

How much on the weight loss doctor?

[A]

$56,645.

[B]

What the fuck did he order? Like, what? I don't understand.

[A]

Like, Weight Watchers does not cost that much. They don't. What is Oprah's out here giving y' all meal plans for, like, $30.

[B]

Listen, when it's 56, I'm just gonna stay thick and delightful, if that's what it take.

[A]

Also, do I need to get right? You know, so much of our weight loss culture is rooted in fatphobia, but I'm like, is this a good scam to get a part of? Cause how was he not fat after $56,000 later, did he look different?

[B]

Right. We need a before and after. We do.

[A]

I'm confused. Cause also, how do you keep making money, you know?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I have so many questions.

[B]

That's a very big question.

[A]

After $56,000, I better look like exactly what I want to look like. I don't know what that is, but I better look exactly right. I better be able to hold up a picture of Beyonce and then be like, yes, exactly. Exactly the same person.

[B]

I think that's totally fair.

[A]

I think that's reasonable. So he paid a weight loss doctor all this money. Frank was also going to Vegas like, two or three times a year on the school district's dime. Okay. Turned up. One parent said, suddenly, it's not Frank can afford Taurus with his pants way up to here. It's Frank with his hair slicked back and a facelift. Parents and teachers couldn't fail to notice the long, light scars behind his ears. He went and got his whole face done.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

Okay. Frank Kardashian.

[B]

I mean, like, right? Did he. I want to know. I want to know. Did he have, like, a plan to explain, like, this glow up in his life? Like, did he tell people, Oh, I won a very secretive lottery that nobody knows about. Oh, I had a grandparent die who was very rich. Like, what. What do you tell people? That's how you know he was rich?

[A]

I truly don't know. Cause he started out as, like, Ford Tercel.

[B]

Listen.

[A]

Or Taurus man of the people. My friend used to have a Ford Taurus, and she called it Clitoris. I don't know. I just thought of that.

[B]

Oh, my gosh.

[A]

So he was just driving around his. His clitoris with his pants up to here and being a man of the people. And now he's a slick back, bad bitch, faceless, fresh Jerry Jones face.

[B]

He got his ass done and everything snatched. Where you. How you do that?

[A]

How? His face is sitting on 22 inch rim.

[B]

He just walk in, like, what's up? Y' all different? No, I just. I got my hair cut. That's good. I lost a few pounds. Maybe that's what you. Maybe that's what you said. Maybe that's what I want. No, sir.

[A]

$56,000 worth of weight, right? No, no, no. I just lost $56,000 worth of pounds.

[B]

High pounds worth of pounds.

[A]

Whoever knows how much pounds that is? Pam Glucken, the accomplice. Cause, you know, he wasn't acting alone. So now we're coming back to Pam. So Rosalind School's former business administrator, Pam Gluckett, admitted to stealing $4.3 million herself. So she went and got her.

[B]

Y', all.

[A]

If y' all had just stole. Honestly, I think they probably stole more. If they're saying 4.3, I'm like, Pam, you probably got 7. And I hope you offshored some of it, sis. I really hope you did.

[B]

Just like the white folks,

[A]

right? She and Tasson also reportedly withdrew over a million dollars from ATMs. Wow.

[B]

I have a question.

[A]

So this is include service fees, right?

[B]

Most ATMs will let you take out, what, $200? So y' all just went to, like, every ATM in the world? Yeah, like, okay, done.

[A]

In New York, you stood a jersey, kept going, right? Right. You can't even do that. Banks won't even let you do that. Bank of America's stingy bitch ass is calling me every five minutes. I try to buy a Slim Gym, they'd be like, bitch, you ain't never had no Slim Gym before.

[B]

Who is this?

[A]

Are you being robbed? Don't worry, we turning off all your

[B]

accounts just to be Safe. Also, too much salt anyway.

[A]

You don't need that, right? That's not even good for you. We trying to keep you alive so we can keep your money in the bank, basically. Okay, so they took out a million dollars from ATMs. The school district was paying for renovations to her home in the Hamptons.

[B]

She had a home.

[A]

Her son had a district guest. How y' all got a home in the Hamptons and the school got a hole in the roof?

[B]

This is the. I really question the question.

[A]

It all comes back to the hole in the roof.

[B]

It really does. Just messy, just sloppy.

[A]

Cause if I'm sitting in the school every day, I'm a teacher, I'm underpaid. I see Frank Tesson is no longer driving Clitoris. All of a sudden he wearing Gucci and he got all the pomade in his hair. He smell like the nigga from Axe Body Spray. And I'm still looking at a hole

[B]

in the roof, Right? It's raining on my kids heads in the middle of all this.

[A]

Yeah, literally raining on their heads. So she getting her house upgraded in the Hamptons, honey, she basically living the life of the affair, which is one of my favorite white people being rich and sad. TV shows.

[B]

Guys say white people be having problems, don't they?

[A]

Oh, they just be fucking and crying and it's just the flavor, you know?

[B]

They do, though.

[A]

Like, I want to have a life where my problems are so few that I can focus on a fight at the pta. Like, that could be what's bothering me all week.

[B]

What a luxury. What a luxury.

[A]

Oh.

[B]

Oh.

[A]

Sometimes I watch it and I escape, you know, I can't even be mad at it. I'm like, you pretend your name is sharing shit and brought them gluten free cookies. Cookies, right.

[B]

Yes. You should write her a long, sternly worded email about how short her pants were in the meeting. Yes, you should.

[A]

And that's enough drama for me. I'm like, yes. I am enthralled. So Pam is out here living that life, honey. She bought Jet Skis, dog food, lavish home goods for 2002. I know, right? She. Look, Pam is taking care of her dog, unlike Amy, okay? Her dog is cute. So in October 2002, Superintendent for Business Pamela Gluckin was discovered to have stolen $250,000. Little do they know, that's like the tip of the iceberg. She done been stealing. Stealing. The theft was uncovered when a Home Depot employee became suspicious when Gluckin's son, John McCormick, used Rosalind School's credit card to purchase construction material to be delivered to his home. It was later found that McCormick had purchased $85,000 worth of supplies for his contractor business using the Rosalind school district credit card.

[B]

And this is her son.

[A]

Now, here's my question. This is her son.

[B]

He's on punishment.

[A]

So I'm gonna go ahead and infer that her son's an asshole.

[B]

Yeah, let's assume.

[A]

And here's why, okay? Because a Home Depot employee became suspicious when he used the school district's credit card. If I worked at Home Depot, I don't think I'm checking the origin of the credit card that I'm swiping.

[B]

Now,

[A]

he did buy $85,000 worth of supplies. So maybe he was like, this is a big purchase. Who is this guy? But whatever it is, the hater jumped out of this Home Depot, man.

[B]

Yeah, I think that makes sense. Like, I would do some petty like that. If you win my line. Acting an asshole while I'm at work minding my business, like, oh, really? I'm moving too slow, right?

[A]

I'm just.

[B]

Let's see who owns his credit card then. You don't look like a Roslyn Ho.

[A]

And you don't look like a Rosalynn. I never want to piss you off, Tracy.

[B]

Hey, good idea.

[A]

And have a nice day. And have a nice day. Because it will be one of the last ones. One of the last nice days you have, bitch.

[B]

Just might. All right, so your mom and your

[A]

mama over time to ruin you, right? Cause I'm like, this is a hater. They're like, otherwise, why? Why would you turn this person in? But anyway, so this is the movie and getting caught. So making the movie even more surreal for the Long island town is the fact that Bad Education was written by one of the school's former students, Mike Morawski, who attended Roslyn Middle School as a student when Tassone was arrested. Frank Tassone was the first person I met at Rosalind. This is what Mike says he told Vanity Fair this last month. Oh, he talking to Vanity Fair. He came up.

[B]

Okay. He put that education in vanity.

[A]

Buddy came up on this camp, right? This is a good education. I don't know what you're talking about. So he said he met him at age 6. And in real life, Tsone's story was investigated by a student reporter, Rebecca Rombaum. Rombaum got a tip about the real reason behind Gluckin's firing, and her story led to authorities and major news outlets catching on to this years long Con. So the other little girl was just writing for the student newspaper, and she got some. She got that hot Lipton, and all of a sudden she getting everybody locked up. Can you imagine? Like, you just write for the Rosalind

[B]

Eagle tie the Rosalind Rambler. It's Stephanie Crenshaw with the Rosalind Rambler. Everybody got fired today. It's all my fault, right?

[A]

Today we're talking fraud. I've been speaking with these authorities at the. At the NYPD station.

[B]

Can you say embezzlement, boys and girls?

[A]

Like, why are the kids reporting on this? Like, this is how cheap the school district was. I'm truly obsessed. So Rebecca got the tea, and then the news. The authorities are opening up the Rosalind Rambler lab. Like, hm, maybe I should look into this, right? Are these kids onto a major fraud? Should she be working her. Cuz this is kind of embarrassing. We are all adults, and we were just like, oh, she took 250k. Seems normal. And we closed the case. And the kids are saying no.

[B]

They said, you thought so.

[A]

Tasson and Gluckin tried to cover their tracks by roping in conspirators and sharing the cash. District employees. So they were like, all right, y'.

[B]

All, Everybody, on the count of three, let's hold hands. Still a whole lot of money.

[A]

There's still a lot of money, y'. All. And if you would like to become a part of the crime as well, we could see that happening.

[B]

Please sign up for the crime on this sheet. It will be on my. On my office door later.

[A]

If you would like to participate in the crime, please tear off one of the numbers at the bottom of this flyer. Cause, listen, Justice. Justice don't pay the bills.

[B]

Okay?

[A]

That's what the newsletter would say. Justice don't pay the bills. Okay?

[B]

Oh, man.

[A]

So district employees with oversight jobs were given bonuses. Deborah Riggiano, Gluckin's niece, worked as an accounting clerk. Oh, convenient. For the Roslyn schools. And stole more than $850,000. 74 unauthorized Roslyn School credit cards were circulated among the district employees and their friends and family members. So everybody was getting a coin from Rosalind School district. Also, like, y', all. Y' all couldn't just chill a little bit?

[B]

They wanted to get. Is what it sounds like.

[A]

Y' all were robbing Robin. Yeah, fix the roof. Take it over the roof.

[B]

At least do that first and then get you some credit cards. But, like, I. I just feel like if I was the type of person who could do such a thing, which I can't because, number one, I have a conscience, which I really hate. Number two, I'm a bad liar. So I would not make a great scammer. But if I was, and I had, like, millions, If I scammed $500,000 from somebody, I will splurge and, like, get, like a extra. Like, I don't know, something at the. At the.

[A]

Trying to think Scoop of guac at Chipotle.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

You're like, I will have the guac

[B]

today, yes, I will. I do want cheese on my burger. Like, you gotta lay all the way low. I don't. I don't understand why people who are bad at crimes keep doing crimes. I just don't get it.

[A]

It got too good to him. You know, that's the thing about scamming. It's about the high too.

[B]

Always chasing that dragon.

[A]

So Gluckin was sentenced to three to nine years in prison for stealing $4.9 million. She was released in 2011. Unfortunately, she passed away in 2017. But Mikowski opted to not reach out to his former superintendent when writing his screenplay, instead speaking to teachers, PDA members, and other taxpayers who had interacted with Tesson. He said, I knew the film was called Bad Education, but it's a bit of a misnomer in that regard. I had an incredible education there. And I think it's largely in part strangely due to this man, Frank Tasson. Yeah, he gave you a great education. You talking to Vanity Fair, bruh? Sounds like your life is going well. He said he recruited most. Frank Testone recruited most of the teachers, and they were one of the top ranked schools in the country, which is true. So now the superintendenarian.

[B]

That's an official title, I believe you,

[A]

is forbidden from holding any job that requires handling money.

[B]

Damn, he done fucked it up.

[A]

He currently lives a low profile life in New York, but he still receives his pensions, which according to state law, they're entitled to earn for the rest of their lives, even despite their felony convictions. So Frank Tassone makes $173,000 annually right now. Wow.

[B]

Scam of the century. Wow.

[A]

Now listen, am I mad that he's getting his pension? Absolutely not. It seems like he did make the school district wonderful. He made a great school district. He also just robbed them blind.

[B]

I'm confused as to how he was able to do both, because doesn't it take money to improve and have one of the best schools in the nation? He was just.

[A]

He must have been spending some of it on the teachers. But just like I think he was in there like, one for you, four for me, two for you, nine for me.

[B]

Wow. And now he's just chilling 100 plus a year. Is he single? He married? Is he happy?

[A]

Right?

[B]

I'm not asking for me. I'm asking for is you happy?

[A]

Okay, ti. Is you happy? So in 2005, he wrote a letter to the New York Times refuting aspects of their coverage. He said, my lush life that you write about included 14 hour days for many years while I moved in the district forward and met many goals of the board of education. I hope the hard working mothers and fathers of Roslyn also remember how much the schools have improved besides the roof, as a result of my leadership. Their real estate values have increased like nowhere else in the country. Primarily because of the schools. The student population increased by 33% during my 12 years in the district. So he said, look, was I robbing you all? Absolutely. Was I also doing my job while I robbed you? For sure.

[B]

And does an educator not deserve more money anyway? Hell yeah. Air gone.

[A]

Exactly.

[B]

Leave me alone.

[A]

Everyone's happy, right? Who was hurt here?

[B]

Except for yo.

[A]

Everyone got right. Everybody got what they wanted. What did you want us to do with these? What school district needs millions and millions of dollars? None.

[B]

I wonder if he has like a vendetta against the girl on the student newspaper. Like, I would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for you pesky kids in your little newspaper.

[A]

And it literally is for the meddling kids in their little newspapers shout out to these children.

[B]

Yes, journalism saving the world.

[A]

We're gonna take a quick break and we'll be right back with the end of the show.

[B]

Oh, no.

[A]

Robbery and fraud. All right, guys, we're back. And this is my favorite but also least favorite part of the show because after this, I have to let Tracy go. Oh, I missed you. But we're talking scammer of the week. I know. This has been so fun. I love when you connect with someone on the Internet and then you meet them and you're like, oh, I fucks with you. I see the vicious.

[B]

Oh, okay, so I'll be on the next episode then. Great.

[A]

Yes. Tracy has taken over the podcast. Yeah, I had to let her. I mean, have you heard Strong Black Lead? Have you seen it? I didn't have a choice. Aw, it's fine. I ain't even wanna do it no more. I ain't even wanna do my show, silly. So, scammer of the week, guys. And this is in the zeitgeist as well, it's a queen, A problematic queen who I adore so much. Tyra Banks. Ooh. And can I just say before I tell y' all what Tyra was doing. Tyra Banks honored herself during Black History Month on her show once, and it was such an inspirational moment for me. She talked about how she was the first black woman to have the Sports Illustrated cover and then put the COVID blew it up and like, showed it to the audience and then commenced into speaking about herself so highly for Black History Month.

[B]

You know, the barriers that I was able to break and the doors that I could open for everyone else in the modeling world.

[A]

You're joking, but she was saying that.

[B]

I believe it. It's humbling, really. Is it? Is it?

[A]

Don't seem humble.

[B]

I know. Oh, she is a mess.

[A]

She's a mess. Recently, Tyra Banks came under fire because people were, you know, were all bored in quarantine, were digging up old videos of Tyra Banks doing very problematic things on America's Next Top Model. Like making models wear blackface, bullying them into cutting their hair and getting painful weaves.

[B]

There was always that one white girl who had never gotten week before they gave us sew in and she's just like.

[A]

And a bad one they would give her. They were ripping the hair from her head and be like, this is how it goes. Rip her scalp out.

[B]

It's not normal. It's not normal. Poor little thing. My scalp hurts like so bad. And like, I just like when I go to sleep, but like, I can't because, like, how do black girls do this?

[A]

Right? And they would be beet red. Just, just crying and. But listen, was it top tier reality television? Absolutely. Was it problematic? You bet your ass.

[B]

Hell yeah.

[A]

And I gotta read this tweet because this isn't even. I'm gonna tell you what Tyra's scammer of the week for, but I have to read this tweet that she had. If you haven't seen it, she said, been seeing the posts about the insensitivity from some of the past America's Next Top Model moments. And I agree with you, looking back, those were some really off choices. Appreciate your honest feedback and I'm sending you so much love and virtual hugs

[B]

and definitely not apologizing.

[A]

Someone on Twitter said, Tyra Banks is my favorite white woman and I died.

[B]

My white man.

[A]

She is my favorite white woman.

[B]

I mean, my white queen.

[A]

So let me tell you what my white Nubian queen did. Someone was a part of her multi level marketing scheme. Yes, Tyra Banks had a multi level marketing scheme. This person says I made a whopping 2775 selling Tyra Banks beauty products. When I was 10, a friend invited me to her mom's Mary Kay party. I couldn't resist the opportunity to try it myself. So I signed up to be a beauty tainer, a member of Tyra's salesforce. A beautytainer.

[B]

That sound like some Tyra ass shit. I believe everything this woman's about to say. I believe all of it.

[A]

Tyra, you. We gave you smize, okay? We gave you smize. It's a part of the zeitgeist. We all like beauty.

[B]

Taylor, do you remember Booch? The booty tooch? Yeah. We let her get a pose.

[A]

Oh, yeah, the booty tooch.

[B]

Mm.

[A]

Yeah. And I still use those poses to this very day. Anytime I'm posing with my arm, I separate it from my body so that it doesn't look wider than it is. Like I still be doing my Tyra tricks.

[B]

Tyra got talent. She's just also really ridiculous.

[A]

Really ridiculous. So this young child becomes a beautytainer at 10 years old. She says my friend's mom, Leanne, which of course Leanne is selling Tyra Banks beauty. Where's the lie? Explained. To be an active beautytainer, I needed to sell $150 of products in the first month or buy $150 of products myself that I can then show potential buyers. The brand doesn't give free samples to start with at all. Wow. I also had to pay a $59 fee to enroll. And after I'd paid my fees and ordered the products, Leanne suggested the six minute tie over kit, the smize Eyeshadow palette, the Stick with Me Makeup Selling Spritz. These are some long titles for this. How you know the product don't work? Why? The product, the sentence.

[B]

It's water, the.

[A]

The oops eyeliner and the menage brow. All amazing. She said so she said she'd spent 231. Why you got $231 and you 10 years old?

[B]

First of all, who you been scamming,

[A]

right? So. But spending money was only temporary. If I sold $150 in products, I'd make 25 cent per.25% commission. That's really low. I feel like if I bought the products and then I sold the products, don't I keep all the profit?

[B]

I mean, Tyra, that's what I would think. I don't know how to do math in business though. So who knows who Knows it sound wrong.

[A]

I'm not a beautytainer. I'm nobody's beautytainer. Okay. But I'm pretty sure it'll add up.

[B]

No, no.

[A]

So, wow. So she would make a 25% commission, which is only 37.50 if she sold $150 worth of products. But if I sold $500, I'd get an additional 5%. And if I hit a thousand, I'd get an additional 10%. So at a thousand dollars, you can make 35% of your own profits. That's crazy. So they said that I'd make even more money if I enrolled another beautytainer, and I'd get 3% of that person's sales as well. This is an MLM, Tyra.

[B]

Wow. I did not know this happened. Was. Is this, like, a thing that everybody is aware of?

[A]

It's in the zeitgeist. But a lot of people don't know. Cause, I mean, look, Tyra Banks was cranking out so much problematic shit at one time. It was like, how do you keep up? It's like when Trump gets on Twitter, like, he says so much crazy shit that nothing seems crazy anymore.

[B]

Right. That's the point.

[A]

I'm like, yeah, he talking about somebody is a murderer on Twitter. Sounds about right. Oh, he said he gonna start taking insulin. Cool. That's what I mean. The nigga said he was gonna nuke a hurricane.

[B]

He did. At point. This.

[A]

This point, I. I have no shock. We're talking about the man who stared directly, cleaner into the right insect. Yes. He stared into the eclipse. And that's when I said, you know what? It's over for us.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah. We're doomed.

[A]

This man wants to show you that his eyes are stronger than the sun.

[B]

That's how you know I'm your fearless leader. This is so small. It's so small. He does all this to just prove, like, look how manly I am. I'm not gonna wear a mask during a pandemic because my balls are so big. Shut up. They are not.

[A]

Yeah, sit. You might have a small dick if you trying to fight the sun. Like, you gotta show everybody you're a bigger man than the sun.

[B]

And I don't like the way it shines all the time. I have to go to sleep sometimes, but the sun doesn't. I don't like it.

[A]

Right. I'm gonna bomb the sun for all of us. It's a metaphor when we say, don't try to steal your shine. It's a metaphor for Donald Trump. He's really beefing with the sun. He doesn't like that it's brighter than him. He doesn't like that it gets more

[B]

attention or that it's oranger. He wants to be the orange one, right?

[A]

It is oranger than him. It's not right. I agree with him. I also am beefing with the sun.

[B]

Oh, shit.

[A]

So Tyra's beauty lines. We're getting to the end of this. But I just. This is so ridiculous. So obviously it's an mlm. You sell, you recruit, and then you get. Okay. And then there's a certain point where you can reach Diamond Beautytainer, which is the highest level, which comes with so many perks. That feels like Tyra's just blowing her America's Next Top Model fortune. I felt rich. So I guess this person has really worked in this and got to diamond details.

[B]

Clearly a diamond. Go ahead, girl.

[A]

Right. Tyra's beauty Oops. Liners are pretty cool with black liquid eyeliner on one side and an eraser on the other to get rid of the bleed and the crooked handiwork. Oh, that actually is a good, like, it's called oops. So when you mess up your eyeliner, you can just erase it. Right.

[B]

Also, like, I'm feeling something. Like, how you know I'm gonna mess up, like, maybe, I don't know, eraser. I do. I do, though.

[A]

No, they do. We do. It's like, look, we know you don't know how to do eyeliner, girl. Now go get this Oops. And this was back in the time of the very aggressive swoop where, you know, you used to have, like, the Snooki, like, the angle going up towards the eyebrow.

[B]

The angle.

[A]

So that was easy to mess up. Yes. The Amy Winehouse. We were all like, I told y'.

[B]

All.

[A]

I was trouble. I was. I had my eyeliner going into my temple. Had my eyeline going right into my forehead. Okay, I was ready. So, guys, this is gonna be a long episode. I'm gonna skip some of these details. I'm like, you are really getting into it. But so Leigh Ann says, make a list of your friends. Hit em up all the MLM stuff. Right? And then, hoping to step my game up, I invited five friends over for a tie open. I prepped buying makeup sponges, tissues, disposable mascara wands, and twice as much wine and snacks than six people could consume. Okay, so you gotta be an adult at this point.

[B]

Yeah, I'm like 10 years old. I don't know.

[A]

When did you become an adult? Girl.

[B]

Cause I was like a 10 year old. Diamond status. That's impressive.

[A]

I think that this. Okay, when this person was 10, they went to a Mary Kay party. So I think that that's what interested them in beauty products. And then by the time they graduated to Tyra Banks, they were an adult. Because I was like, wait a minute.

[B]

Okay, so that's how they got alcohol. All right. I was like, it's a whole nother scam in and of itself.

[A]

Right. We really had to walk that one back. But yeah. So selling makeup to your friends is weird. Everyone at the party was afraid to take the first chip. All of us just stood there looking at Smokey Smy's palettes like we'd never seen eyeshadow before. Their assessment of tie overs are mixed, the eye pencil, the mascaras are hits, whatever. So she's basically having this party and trying to get everybody to hop on board. All told, throughout this whole experience. And obviously this person made it to diamond status. In Tyra's MLM, she said that she made 2775 for her first month as a beautytainer. I suppose I could have kept going and tried to make the rest of the initial investment, but I'm not going to going to. I'll just use the products I have. I left myself.

[B]

Wow. So was this $27 or $27?

[A]

So I think that that's like profit.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

So after spending. Yeah, after spending all this money and trying to get to diamond status and all this other shit, tricking her friends, getting them drunk. Imagine getting real drunk on wine. You wake up and you're in an mlm, right?

[B]

You're like, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Hold on, hold on. On hold. Where all this mascara come from? And where's my checkbook?

[A]

Why is my. Why are my eyes running? And why am I in a mlm?

[B]

Where is Tyra Banks? I have questions.

[A]

Oh yeah, well, Tyra, shout out to a problematic queen. You're still my favorite white woman.

[B]

She's hanging in there though, man. She, she.

[A]

I'm glad you quietly stopped this MLM and just like shut it down.

[B]

Like, when did it happen? Like, recently.

[A]

So she closed her direct sales business in 2017, but it looks like it was operating for at least a couple years because it was in the beta period in 2015 and she was calling it direct sale, which we all know is multi level marketing.

[B]

Wow. Wow.

[A]

She just continues to shout out to a queen.

[B]

Shout out to our white Nubian queen, Ms. Tyra Banks herself.

[A]

And on that, and on that Exact note. Guys, thank you so much for listening. This is a long, fun episode. I hope you had fun. I got to keep Tracy's for so long. As always, snitch on your friends and [e-mail] you can find us online at scamgodesspod on all platforms. You can find me at D I V A L A C I Diva Lacey on all platforms. And we always ask Tracy, where do you want to be found?

[B]

I love that question so much. Do not find me in real life. I'm in quarantine in my hair. Listen. Has not seen a drop a lot. You can find me on the social medias@broken mcpoverty, namely Instagram and Twitter. Also on podcast situations. What do you call them? I'm really bad at this part. Listen to wherever you.

[A]

Yes, the Netflix podcast.

[B]

Yeah, that one. That one. Sorry, everybody.

[A]

It's a pretty big deal, Tracy. It's like, you know, I don't know. The things. Things that I do where I interview legends. Listen to that.

[B]

In my defense, I have been sweating in this little fort, stewed, so I'm probably delirious.

[A]

Thank you for your sacrifice.

[B]

For you. Absolutely. Follow me on the things. I have so many new podcast projects coming out, so as soon as I'm allowed to announce those, please listen and subscribe because your girl needs to keep some money in her pocket.

[A]

Thank you. Yes, coins. Absolutely. All right, congregation, thank God.