The Buffalo Board of Education met for a special session, to address the comments made over the weekend on the “Unsubscribe Podcast” by Buffalo Police detective and social media influencer Richard Hy. He accused Buffalo Public Schools of obstruction in cases of abuse and failure to hand over important information during investigations of sexual assault.
Board President Dr. Kathy Evans-Brown announced at the conclusion of the session that the board will conduct an external investigation.
“The Board of Education takes allegations about the well-being of our students seriously. The BOE is initiating an independent external investigation, and the results will be shared publicly,” said Evans-Brown.
In a statement over the weekend the school district said they’re “vigorously prepared to address these untruths”. When asked if the district can confirm if everything Hy said was untrue, board members nor Superintendent Tonja Williams Knight could give a clear answer.
“I think there's an investigation that our board president has shared is going to be ensued, and that, you know, whatever the outcome from the investigation is will be shared with the public,” said Williams Knight.
She was then pressed by reporters that she was not "vigorously" addressing "untruths."
“I do believe that [conducting an investigation] is vigorously addressing it,” said Williams Knight.
The board did not say how long the investigation will take.
The Erie County District Attorney's Office has also commented on Hy's remarks made about Buffalo Public Schools. The detective had said that prosecutors in the office were also frustrated with the school district, as Hy alleged lawyers for the schools continually ignored subpoenas.
"The Erie County District Attorney’s Office is committed to the thorough investigation and prosecution of any crime against a child. We continue to handle any allegation of sexual assault, child abuse and tampering with evidence with the utmost seriousness," wrote a spokesperson for the office. "The District Attorney is aware of the statements made by a member of the Buffalo Police Department regarding the Buffalo Public School District in a recent podcast. While we understand these statements have raised concerns about the safety and well-being of children in our community, our office cannot comment at this time as to not compromise any potential investigation that may relate to those public comments. Additionally, some statements made during the podcast involve an ongoing criminal case, and our office does not comment on any matter currently pending prosecution."
Hy's employer, the Buffalo Police Department, released a similar statement.
"The Buffalo Police Department is aware of the concerns raised by one of our members regarding the handling of incidents involving student safety," read the statement. "We are committed to conducting thorough investigations to ensure transparency and accountability. While we are unable to comment on specific details due to pending investigations, protecting the safety and well-being of our community's youth remains a top priority. We will work diligently with all stakeholders to uphold the trust placed in us."
