вЂњItвЂ™s a strange thing,вЂќ Makowsky continued. But it feels like a story-to me, at least-thatвЂ™s eminently worth telling.вЂќ вЂњIвЂ™m sure that thereвЂ™s a segment of the community that would rather this thing just disappeared. But the screenwriter is hopeful-if cautious-about bringing his film back to Roslyn during his next homecoming. We were one of the top-ranked schools in the country when Tassone was arrested.вЂќД«izarrely, Bad EducationвЂ™s premiere happens to conflict with MakowskyвЂ™s 10-year high school reunion. And I think itвЂ™s in large part, strangely, due to this man, Frank Tassone, who recruited most of the teachers I had. вЂњBut itвЂ™s a bit of a misnomer in that regard. вЂњI know the film is called Bad Education,вЂќВ said Makowsky. But Makowsky opted not to reach out to his former superintendent when writing his screenplay, instead speaking to teachers, PTA members, and other tax payers who had interacted with Tassone, and were still trying to grapple with the complexities of his actions over a decade later. Tassone was released from prison in 2010, after serving roughly 3 years of a 4-to-12-year prison sentence. She bought Jet Skis, dog anwhile Frank was going to Vegas like two or three times a year on the school districtвЂ™s dime.вЂќ вЂњHer son had a district credit card that he was using to buy construction materials from home-supply stores. вЂњThe school district was paying for the renovations to her home in the Hamptons,вЂќ said Makowsky. She and Tassone also reportedly withdrew over $1 million from ATMs. Tassone was not acting alone the Roslyn schoolsвЂ™ former business administrator, Pam Gluckin (played in the film by Allison Janney), admitted to stealing $4.3 million herself. It really shocked everyone in my community, and there were these really deep-seated feelings of betrayal.вЂќ So it was a really sort of complicated, awful thing: This very affable, charismatic person who placed a real emphasis on the quality of education and helping students, then at the same time, you hear that heвЂ™s been taking money from the coffer and was part of this $11.2 million scheme. вЂњAll their kids were getting into amazing schools and doing great on their SATs, and property values in the town were going up. вЂњThe administrators were asking for more and more money, and, because they were doing an incredible job, the tax payers were happy to oblige,вЂќ he continued. And this weekend, 15 years after the arrest, a big-screen adaptation of this painful chapter of RoslynвЂ™s history will make its way to the Toronto Film Festival.Д«ut with greater prosperity came greater pressure. The once proud Long Island school district soon became the subject of tabloid interest. (вЂњMany RoslynitesвЂќ reportedly suspected Tassone could be gay.) While playing the role of devoted superintendent, he was also siphoning off $2.2 million on vacations to the Caribbean, gambling trips, rent on an Upper East Side apartment, weight-loss treatment, and dry cleaning.

Though Tassone claimed to have been a widower to a woman-reportedly keeping an old wedding photo in his office-he was in a domestic partnership with a man. In the aftermath, details about TassoneвЂ™s surprising double life began leaking out into the press. Tassone was eventually arrested in an $11.2 million larceny scandal, shocking Roslyn. And puzzlingly, in spite of increasing budget requests, which seemed to always be met, the school roof continued to leak. He wore sharp suits and served lobster tails at a luncheon.

Details that might have worried the districtвЂ™s parents and staff members, had Tassone not been so charming and seemingly devoted to his students. He even led a book club for the districtвЂ™s parents.Д«ut there were details about Tassone-played by Hugh Jackman in Bad Education, a drama premiering this weekend at the Toronto International Film Festival-that didnвЂ™t add up. He made a point of regularly lunching with high school pupils. The charismatic administrator allegedly insisted on personally meeting each and every new student. Frank Tassone was a mythic figure in New YorkвЂ™s Roslyn school district, where he served as superintendent.

Bad education show