In 2002, Dr. Frank Tassone is superintendent of the Roslyn Union Free School District on Long Island. Frank and assistant superintendent Pam Gluckin have overseen major improvements in the district, with Roslyn High School becoming the fourth-ranked public school in the country. The school’s performance stimulates the local economy, reaping rewards for school board president and real estate broker Bob Spicer. Beloved by students and parents, Frank claims to have lost his wife several years ago, and rejects advances from some of the local mothers. Attending a conference in Las Vegas, he begins an affair with his former student Kyle Contreras. Bad Education 2019 full
Student reporter Rachel Bhargava is writing an article for the Roslyn school paper about a skywalk the school plans to construct, and Frank blithely encourages her to treat her article as any top journalist would. Rachel investigates the project, to Pam’s irritation, and notices irregularities in the district’s finances. It is revealed that Pam has a fraudulent district expense card, which she encourages her niece Jenny, a district clerk, to use. When Pam’s son uses the card to shop for thousands of dollars’ worth of construction materials for her home renovation, Bob is alerted by a relative working at the store.
Bob and the school board confront Pam, realizing she has embezzled at least $250,000 in taxpayer funds. Frank persuades them to handle the matter quietly, detailing the consequences a public scandal would have on the school and community. They agree to conceal the embezzlement, forcing Pam to pay restitution and resign; the board announces her abrupt “retirement.” Convincing district auditor Phil Metzger to falsify the financial records, Frank appoints him as Pam’s temporary replacement. Frank transfers Jenny to a less visible “special utilities” role, threatening to expose her own misuse of funds when she attempts to implicate him.
Rachel continues her investigation, uncovering evidence of the embezzlement in the form of supply orders that were never fulfilled and massive consulting fees paid to unknown companies, including Pam’s husband’s car dealership.