Scandal-rocked Buffalo Public Schools appoints new board member despite mayor, state education commissioner advising delay

In the latest twist regarding Buffalo Public Schools in New York, a new board member has been appointed despite calls from both the city’s mayor and state education commissioner advising a delay to investigate sexual harassment allegations. 

“According to the claim, there are allegations that (former superintendent Dr. Pascal) Mubenga and School Board member Lewis ‘Muki’ Hawkins made unwanted sexual advances toward the district’s chief equity and governance officer, Antoinette M. Amos,” reported local NBC affiliate WGRZ-TV.

As a result, State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa had asked the board’s president, Kathy Evans-Brown, to postpone filling the vacancy “until the pending allegations are resolved,” according to the local ABC affiliate.

“I encourage Commissioner Rosa to keep an eye on the Buffalo Public School District, you know, to intervene in any positive way that she can intervene in,” Buffalo Mayor Sean Ryan told the ABC affiliate.

‘Not a good look’

Ryan also argued the board’s response to appoint retired Buffalo police investigator Roscoe Henderson III in place of the retired Cindi McEachon – who resigned last month “citing concerns about the board’s transparency and accountability,” according to WIVB News – did not help matters.

“Essentially (the board decided) to tell the commissioner, you know, to get lost,” Ryan concluded. “It’s not a good look, and it’s not good for future relationships.”

Even the state’s governor, Kathy Hochul, has weighed in on the district’s handling of school board operations at such a sensitive time.

“The allegations and misconduct are very egregious … and I condemn sexual harassment in all of its forms, full stop,” Hochul said, according to the ABC affiliate.

Kathy Evans-Brown, the school board’s president, defended the decision to appoint Henderson in a statement released late Tuesday afternoon.

“At no time did the Board act with the intent to disregard or defy the Commissioner of Education,” the statement read, adding the board began its appointment process to fill the vacancy before the mayor asked the state education commissioner to intervene. “Rather, we acted in good faith, consistent with our legal responsibilities, our commitment to transparency, and our obligation to ensure that every district is represented by a full complement of elected leadership.”

‘A broken governance model’

Meanwhile, state assemblymember Pat Burke, chair of the Assembly Committee on Cities, has been taking notice.

“I think there’s a broken governance model and that’s why I’m asking for the (State Education) Commissioner to come in,” Burke said, as reported by Spectrum News Syracuse. “This isn’t really an isolated incident with this school board or this superintendent. Buffalo Public Schools have been in chaos; there’s been a revolving door of superintendents for a very long time.”

As previously reported by Heartlander News, the district enrolling over 30,000 students has faced withering criticism from a police detective who said it had been “intentionally not reporting the assaults of students, sexual assaults between students.”

Detective Richard Hy, who had worked 13 years with the Buffalo Police Department and on its Special Victims Unit for two years before speaking publicly on a podcast, stood by his statements despite potential disciplinary repercussions.

“[There] is definitely a chance, but it’s the right thing to do,” he said. “I’ve gotten a lot of calls and text messages from different people … different ranks in the Buffalo Police Department, outside the Buffalo Police Department … in local and national politics that are saying that they support me in my decision and that it’s kind of hard to wag your finger at somebody who’s calling out somebody for not protecting children.”