The city Department of Education’s policy panel last night approved a controversial $120 million contract for Verizon during a contentious meeting attended by hundreds of workers on strike against the company.

Protestors noted that a recent probe found Verizon had overcharged the city for similar school technology work and had facilitated allegedly fraudulent billing by DOE consultant Willard Lanham — to the tune of more than $3.6 million.

The contract for Verizon subsidiary Telesector Resources Group is for two years of phone and Internet services to schools.

Verizon officials insisted they had only been following instructions of a rogue project manager.