On Monday, Buffalo Public Schools’ Board of Education voted to appoint Roscoe Henderson III to the vacant North District seat.
Henderson is a retired long-time accident investigator for the Buffalo Police Department and has also had experience within schools as a school resource officer, substitute teacher and detention supervisor.
The vacancy was triggered by Cindi McEachon’s resignation, who cited internal tensions on the board as a reason for leaving.
Henderson, a graduate of the school district, said he was interested in the position as a way to give back.
“The reason why I submitted my name for consideration is because I just looked at it as for the public good. The City of Buffalo has done so much for me, and I just look at it as the way of giving back," said Henderson, who added that he's lived in the North District for about 17 years.
Henderson also took a unique approach and committed to not run for the seat after the remaining two-and-a-half years on the term is up.
"If I wasn't here when I was just a citizen living in the district, I would be like, 'Well, we have eight members of this board who don't live in the North District deciding for the North District,'" Henderson said.
Henderson was the last of six candidates to be interviewed in a lengthy special meeting. The other candidates included Dinorah Santos Baines, Jack Echeverria, Matthew Verrelli, Braden Pritchard and Jonathan Robins.
Henderson comes into the district at a contentious time. The district’s last superintendent, Dr. Pascal Mubenga, resigned earlier this month after being accused of sexually harassing the district’s Chief Equity and Governance Officer. Current board member Lewis “Muki” Hawkins was also named in the sexual harassment claim, but has said he will not resign.
Several state elected officials, including Governor Kathy Hochul, have had their eyes on the dysfunction of a board of education serving roughly 28,000 students and their families.
"The allegations and the misconduct are very egregious, and I condemn sexual harassment in all of its forms. Full stop. And this should not be going on. I'm very much aware of it,” Hochul said in a stop in Buffalo on Monday.
“The state education department is already engaged. They're under a school superintendent receivership right now, so there is more connectivity with the state education department and Buffalo School District than in most districts,” Hochul said. “So they are involved in that. In terms of any thought of a takeover, that has to happen from approval from the legislature, that can't happen by just a dictate, and I don't know that it warrants that."
All six candidates were asked the same nine questions, which they received in advance. Each candidate had up to three minutes to answer each question, could ask questions at the end and leave the board with a final thought. After each candidate, the board members took notes on a rubric.
The board deliberated for roughly an hour before returning from executive session and calling for a vote. Five members of the board voted yes, including Dr. Kathy Evans-Brown, Janita Everhart, Stephon Wright, Talia Rodriguez and Hawkins. Lawrence Scott, Erik Bohen and Adrianna Zullich abstained from voting.
