DC teacher, police employees among parents sued over alleged tuition fraud

WASHINGTON — Two sets of parents are being sued by the District in separate lawsuits totaling more than $800,000.

They’re accused of lying about their Maryland residency in order to send their kids to D.C. schools tuition-free.

Two members of the D.C. Police Department — civilian employee Akila Johnson and detective Stephen Davis — are being sued for more than a half-million dollars.

D.C.’s Office of the Attorney General (OAG) says the seven children the couple have between them all attended D.C. public charter schools as far back as the 2014–2015 school year.

The other lawsuit, which totals almost $300,000, was filed against D.C. public schools teacher Duriel Cobb and his ex-wife, Talaya Cobb.

They’re accused of a decade of tuition fraud to avoid paying tuition while their two sons attended the same schools where Duriel Cobb worked. According to the lawsuit, one son attended Miner Elementary School for more than four years, starting in the 2008–2009 school year.

OAG started suing parents for non-resident tuition fraud in 2012, and since then has received about $1.6 million in judgments and settlements.


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Michelle Basch

Michelle Basch is a reporter and anchor at WTOP.

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