Shaun Harrison, a former academic dean at English High School in Boston, has been sentenced to an additional 18 years in federal prison for racketeering conspiracy. Harrison had already been serving a 26-year sentence in state prison for shooting a student he had recruited to deal drugs. In 2018, he was convicted of attempting to kill a student who was selling marijuana in the high school at his direction. The student was shot in the back of the head after a dispute over declining drug sales and sustained partial face paralysis, permanent hearing loss, and other injuries.
Prosecutors have said that Harrison presented himself as an anti-violence activist and mentor for troubled teens while concealing his gang ties and leading students into drugs and violence. He had recruited at-risk youth and provided them with marijuana and other drugs to sell, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins. Prosecutors said that Harrison had a double life, posing as an anti-violence activist and mentor for troubled teenagers while hiding his gang connections and luring students into criminal activity. Federal prosecutors said that Harrison showed an “astonishing level of betrayal and dishonesty” and continued to associate with the Latin Kings gang while in prison.
The case was part of a larger law enforcement operation called Operation Throne Down, which targeted the Latin Kings gang. Last year, a US federal court ordered Harrison to pay $10m in damages to the former student he had tried to kill, though it is uncertain whether the victim will receive any money.
Harrison had been hired by the Boston Public Schools to work as an academic dean at English High School, a public, magnet school, in 2015. Prosecutors have said that Harrison continued to associate with gang members through jail calls to other co-defendants, and the Latin Kings put money into his jail accounts.
In sentencing Harrison, US District Court Judge Rya W. Zobel said: “You showed a complete disregard for the law and the safety of others with a lifestyle that brought you wealth and power at others’ expense.”
Harrison’s sentencing serves as a reminder of the vulnerabilities in the school system that can lead to students being lured into criminal activity. It is also a demonstration of the importance of active and effective oversight of academic professionals and security procedures at schools, especially in light of the current push to reopen schools across the country.
Overall, the sentencing of Shaun Harrison is an important step in holding accountable those who use their access and influence over young people for nefarious purposes. The case should serve as a warning to others who may use similar tactics in the future.
