Schneiderman reaches $240,000 agreement with head of preschool

NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) -- New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said Thursday his office has reached a $240,000 agreement with the head of a Brooklyn preschool to resolve allegations of self-dealing.

Silvia Kuper, the executive director and a member of the board of directors of Therapy and Learning Center Inc., allegedly used $220,000 in school funds to pay for personal expenses.

The alleged expenses include expensive leases on multiple luxury Audi A-8 sedans and online personal counseling services.

Under the terms of the agreement, Kuper must pay the full $220,000 in restitution and $20,000 to defray attorney costs.

"It's sad any time my office finds evidence of self-dealing by those who work in and lead New York's important not-for-profit sector organizations," Schneiderman said in a statement. "But charging personal expenses on the backs of children, particularly those with disabilities, is beyond the pale.

"Ms. Kuper will be required to repay hundreds of thousands in charitable dollars she stole for herself, and she'll be permanently barred from running any New York charity -- whether a school or any other organization that serves New Yorkers."

The settlement also requires Kuper to resign her positions as executive director and board member of TLC and bars her from any future service as a director or officer of any not-for-profit organization in New York.