Employees of shuttered Philadelphia charter school owed wages

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Employees of a Philadelphia charter school which suddenly closed its doors for good over the holiday break are in a precarious financial position.

175 Palmer Charter School employees are owed a month's worth of back wages.

"When will I receive my money?" former Palmer Charter School employee Lena Smalls asked.

They lost their jobs and their benefits when the Walter Palmer Charter School abruptly shut down late last month.

Now, they say they can't even get unemployment benefits because the phones at the school are off and the state can't confirm the school is closed.

"This is a slap in the face for all the years of dedication," former employee Vivian Texidor said.

Longtime employees say they're now in danger of losing their homes and everything they worked for.

"Facing being homeless with my children because I'm now going to have to pay my rent and utilities, bills are coming in," Texidor said.

They were desperate enough to come to the school district looking for help.

They say the district failed in its oversight responsibility.

The district says it has no oversight by law.

"The district has very limited ability to oversee charter schools, per state law. They are their own entity; they are their own school district," Philadelphia School District spokesman Fernando Gallard said.

The out of work Palmer employees say the district will be held responsible along with Palmer school administrators.

They'll be filing a lawsuit and presenting evidence of alleged criminal activity to local and state law enforcement.

The Palmer school is now liquidating its assets as it tries to dig out from under a mountain of debt.

The former employees wonder where all the money went.

"We certainly know it didn't go to us because we are still without pay. We are still without the opportunity to receive our unemployment compensations and we know it didn't go specifically totally to the education of our children," Sultan Ashley said.

Action News spoke with Walter Palmer, the founder of the school, who he says there was no illegal activity at the school.

He says he will not run away from his obligations and will be around until all of this is resolved.