Top NYC school official under scrutiny after complaint she tapped DOE staffer for ‘personal favors’

A top city educrat has come under scrutiny after an ex-employee accused her of directing her chief of staff to pick up her child after school and escort her to evening meetings or events the official attended.

The Special Commissioner of Investigation confirmed it is “evaluating” a complaint that Danika Rux, deputy chancellor of school leadership, had her chief of staff, Kimberly Ramones, use a DOE-issued car and driver to pick up Rux’s child at a Manhattan school and bring her to Rux’s late meetings.

“As you know, it is a violation of both chancellor’s regulations and [Conflicts of Interest Board] rules to have a subordinate do personal favors, and it is also a violation to use DOE equipment to do this,” said the complaint by Amanda Lurie, a former executive in the Office of Enrollment.

DOE deputy chancellors share city-issued cars and drivers when conducting city business, and can use them for rides home at night.

The DOE immediately dismissed Lurie’s allegation, noting that she was fired in 2023 for alleged misconduct.

“It is the height of irresponsibility to put a young child in harm’s way based solely on an allegation made by a former employee who has an axe to grind against New York City Public Schools after she was terminated for falsifying her work time records,” the statement said, calling the allegations “false.”

Lurie, who denies wrongdoing and is suing to regain her DOE job, was interviewed about the Rux complaint by an SCI investigator.

“City Hall is claiming that I am a disgruntled employee. That is a diversion tactic to try to discredit me as a source. The information was reported to me, and I did exactly what all of us, as mandated reporters, are obligated to do: I reported it.”

She added, “It is reprehensible that they are trying to cover this up by using a child as a cover for her mother. I, in no way, put the child in harms way by filing a legitimate complaint. I stand by it.”

Lurie sent a similar complaint about Rux to DOE ethics officer Samantha Biletsky, with copies to Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos, First Deputy Chancellor Daniel Weisberg and chief counsel Liz Vladek.

The DOE insists none of those officials got Lurie’s missive, claiming the “email addresses . . . were written incorrectly.”

The Post, also a recipient on Lurie’s complaint, found all the email addresses correct. 

“I find it utterly ridiculous and outrageous that someone who has a household income of over 525k, cannot pay a babysitter,” Lurie’s complaint to Bilesky stated.

Danika Rux’s salary is $302,525. Her husband Shawn Rux, who also works for the DOE under a secret deal to promote his wife, makes $222,613. 

Rux and Ramones did not return requests for comment.

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