9/5/2026
Philadelphia charter school and ex-CEO agree to pay nearly $4 million over allegations it rigged admissions against Black students
Franklin Towne Charter High School agreed Friday to a False Claims Act settlement over its January 2023 admissions lottery, which prosecutors say was manipulated to lower Black applicants' odds. The school is 17% Black in a city where district schools are 42% Black. Neither the school nor former CEO Joseph Venditti admitted liability.
Mary Johnson