BUFFALO (WBEN) - On November 18, Buffalo School Board Member Paulette Woods was caught sticking up her middle finger and appeared to be swearing while on mute during a board meeting, prompting an apology that she delivered on WUFO radio.
[iframe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=]However, parent leaders held a press conference Tuesday morning to stand in support of Woods, not justifying the action, but what exactly elicited that response in the first place, and they believe that should be the narrative moving forward.
"This press conference today is to support School Board Member Paulette Woods, who has been demonized by Larry Scott, an at large member of the board, who continued pressing the issue of Ms. Woods behavior without talking about what caused Ms. Woods reaction," said District Parent Coordinating Council President Sam Radford. "We are not here to justify her behavior. While her action was unacceptable, the reason for her response is the issue we are here to discuss."
Radford went on to say that Woods was trying to increase student enrollment at City Honors, noting a stark racial disparity in the makeup of the school's student population.
"A school whose enrollment represents 66% white, 16% Black and Brown children, though the district is made up of 70% Black and Brown children and 20% white," said Radford. "Mr. Scott was quoted in the Buffalo News that Ms. Woods' behavior was unacceptable and needs to be censored. As a community, we say, 'Mr. Scott, the school system's action, as it pertains to the education of our children is unacceptable, and it needs to be censored.'
"It is unacceptable that in 2019, 75% of the Buffalo School District's children grades 3-8 are functioning below grade level - 75%," Radford continued. "It is unacceptable that 80% of our children in grades 3-8 are functioning below grade level in mathematics. It is unacceptable that we have a private school being funded by private dollars that has denied access to a majority of the students in the district."
Apologizing again, Woods said there are pressing issues within the district, and she doesn't want to take away from the attention of those issues.
"I don't want me and that seven seconds to be the focus of the community in the education of these kids," she said.
