Intelligencer Journal/Lancaster New Era

Academy's credibility an issue

To the Editors:

The Academy of Business & Entrepreneurship Charter School has a credibility problem.

I refer to the comment of the school's president, Sait Onal, in this paper that his school is "not associated with anyone, with any group, in any part of the world but here in Lancaster." ("School District of Lancaster eyes charter school").

In fact, the Academy has troubling connections with the Gulen-affiliated institutions that are currently under FBI investigation.

This past October, Adam Oksuz, who identified himself as the charter's "educational consultant," wrote to several HACC instructors, asking for their endorsement of the Academy's application. Oksuz has been involved with Gulen schools in Hawaii, California and Arizona. He serves as the principle of their Sonoran Science Academy in Tucson.

At the Jan. 15 school board hearing on their application, the Academy's representative promised "transparency."

We are still waiting for it.

Laura Shelton

Lancaster