Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - At two different points on Wednesday, Buffalo School Board president Dr. Kathy Evans-Brown was asked for any further details about the sudden resignation of Dr. Pascal Mubenga as superintendent of Buffalo Public Schools on July 13.
In both instances, Dr. Evans-Brown was escorted away and declined to answer questions.
In fact, with the exception of Park District's Erik Bohen, who briefly answered a handful of questions, none of the other members of the Buffalo School Board of Education answered any question about Mubenga's abrupt resignation - a move that has put the board in full crisis mode, and subject to a new wave of public criticism about its lack of transparency.
"We'd rather you focused on educational goals instead of finger pointing and all this drama," said Jennifer Mecozzi, who was a former Board of Education representative covering the West District for nine years.
Bohen did say any conversations between the Board and Mubenga during the July 13 executive session, where he tendered his immediate resignation, was covered by confidentiality clauses.
"We can't disclose what was discussed because of the confidentiality clause," Bohen said. "And, I just can't comment about what has going through his head."
Bohen did praise Mubenga - who had been with the district for just shy of one year after being recruited from the Durham (North Carolina) School District.
"I thought he was moving the district forward," Bohen said. "He did a great job for the kids."
But when asked if Mubenga let down Buffalo, the school district and its 28,000-plus students, Bohen said, "sort of."
Mubenga was replaced by Dr. Ebony Prophet-Bullock, who worked her way up from teaching junior high students at School 74 into the administration, and now, at least for the immediate future, as interim superintendent.
Prophet-Bullock's interim appointment was announced along with Mubenga resignation, but became official by unanimous vote on July 15.
"Ebony will help bring some stability to the district and help move it forward," Bohen said.
