Dr. Pascal Mubenga, less than a year at the helm of Buffalo Public Schools, abruptly resigned as Superintendent Monday evening, a school district spokesman confirmed.
It happened during a meeting during which school board members were to discuss how to replace one of their own, who resigned late last month.
“Tonight, Monday, July 13, the Board of Education voted on two motions during the session of its special meeting to accept the immediate resignation of Dr. Pascal Mubenga as superintendent of the Buffalo Public Schools,” read a written statement received by BTPM News Monday evening. “The board also voted on a separate motion to appoint Dr. Ebony Prophet-Bullock as the Interim Superintendent of Schools, effective July 14, 2026. The board will have no further comment at this time.”
Mubenga joined Buffalo Public Schools last August on a four-year contract which was to pay him $285,000 per year. He came to Buffalo from Durham, North Carolina, where he served as superintendent in that city’s public school district. When joining Buffalo Public Schools, he replaced Dr. Tonja Williams Knight, who retired.
Earlier this year, he formed a strategic plan in collaboration with community stakeholders. No reason was given for his resignation Monday evening.
Prophet-Bullock served under Mubenga as his chief accountability officer.
On June 24, Cindi McEachon resigned as the school board’s North District representative. She explained her reason in a social media post, expressing “serious concerns about the Board's current governance practices and whether transparency, accountability and collaboration are being upheld in a way that serves students, families and the public. Effective public service requires public trust, and at this time, I do not believe the Board is operating in a manner that consistently supports sound decision-making or the best interests of the district."
McEachon had been highly critical of school district leadership in the midst of sexual harassment accusations against another school board member. She complained about the board leadership knowing about the accusations for about two weeks before sharing the information publicly. An outside firm was hired to investigate those accusations.