Sharpton headlines Norwalk education rally

Norwalk, Conn. (WTNH) - The Reverend Al Sharpton was in Norwalk Tuesday evening, showing support for a homeless woman charged with stealing her son's education. The message behind the rally was 'Equal Education For All'.

Hundreds of people turned out to support Tayna McDowell, saying the charges against her are cruel and unusual punishment.

They cheered for 'Equal Education For All', rallying for Tanya McDowell, who told the crowd she was only looking out for her son when she enrolled him in the Norwalk school system.

"All I ask is the best education which is one of the best for AJ," McDowell said.

Leaders from the NAACP spoke on her behalf, including activist Al Sharpton.

"My concern is not the past of the mother, but the future of the child," Sharpton said.

McDowell is fighting charges she "illegally" enrolled her son at the Brookside school, claiming while she was "homeless" her son was living at a babysitter's address in Norwalk.

McDowell's last known address was in Bridgeport. On Tuesday, a judge denied a request to dismiss the charges against her, and while some agree she may have had her child's best interest at heart, they say her actions were wrong.

"I think she abused it, and there are penalties for that under the law," Norwalk resident Christina Hanna said.

McDowell's lawyer says the district's policy is to simply disenroll a child when it is discovered they are from outside the district. He wants to know why there was no charges for some 26 other similar cases of illegal enrollment. He wants the charges dropped.

"And when you have a school policy that makes it quite clear we do not prosecute, and we do not jail people for having kids in out of district schools, why are they doing that here," Attorney Darnell Crosland said.

"A five year old child should not be a pawn of politics, and I hope everyone puts the politics aside, and do what is necessary. Every black, white, latino that needs an education," said Sharpton.

McDowell says she has no regrets about what she did.

"If you ask me I would do it all over again, because I didn't do anything wrong," McDowell said.

McDowell's next court date is set for July 12th.