Lewis "Muki" Hawkins, Central District representative of the Buffalo Board of Education, is facing more sexual harassment allegations, according to a new notice of claim filed against the Buffalo Public School District and the Buffalo Board of Education.
Arlene Adams, who oversees the district’s federally funded Project Prevent program, described several encounters with Hawkins between March and May in the legal filings.
She alleges Hawkins repeatedly entered her office without invitation, persisted after she rejected his alleged advances and created a hostile work environment.
Adams said she reported several encounters to district administrators, but the district failed to adequately investigate the allegations or protect her.
In addition to sexual harassment and abuse of authority, Adams also makes claims of unlawful retaliation and sex-based discrimination.
Board of Education President Kathy Evans-Brown sent the following statement to BTPM News:
"The notice of claim received by the District this week that relates to a Board member will be the subject of an independent investigation, and the Board will look forward to receiving the results of that investigation, consistent with its legal authority and responsibility. The Board cannot provide further detail consistent with best practices. The Board has taken such allegations seriously and will provide further comment at the appropriate time."
BTPM News reached out to Hawkins, who declined to comment and insisted he is letting the legal process play out while continuing to work for the good of the community.
New York City-based attorney Marcel Florestal, who represents Adams along with Buffalo Attorney John Elmore, said the alleged pattern of encounters left Adams fearing for her safety.
“This woman was made to feel unsafe. She was made to feel like at any point in time, this guy could attack her for no other reason other than her sex," he said.
Adams said she initially hesitated to file a formal complaint because she feared jeopardizing approval of the federal grant she oversees and her non-tenured employment.
Her claims come less than a month after district Chief Diversity Officer Antoinette Amos accused Hawkins and former Superintendent Pascal Mubenga of sexual harassment. Florestal said both women want their cases to bring the alleged conduct within Buffalo Public Schools to light.
“What I find almost uniformly amongst them is that they're not focused on the money; they're not focused on how much they can get," Florestal said. "What they're focused on is making sure that their story is brought to light.”
Buffalo Teachers Federation President Rich Nigro told BTPM News while Hawkins is presumed innocent, he should not have participated in selecting the firm investigating allegations involving him.
“It is terrible and unconscionable for an accused person to sit at the table and select which firm is going to be involved in investigating the district and himself. That's, to me, crazy. I don't understand that," he said.
Nigro said Hawkins should step away from the school board while the investigations remain active. Florestal expressed similar sentiments.
"Yeah, he has a right to defend himself, but I believe that the evidence is so overwhelming, it's just so overwhelming, of this guy's misdeeds that I think the Buffalo School District should do something," Florestal said.
The latest sexual harassment allegations are also raising broader concerns about the district’s priorities.
“We're again focused on adult behaviors and situations, and not what we need to do for our students," said parent advocate Jessica Bauer Walker, "and our students aren't doing well academically, socially, emotionally. It seems like we've totally lost the focus on what we need to do to put children and families first, which is the BPS mission.”
Walker said parent groups, student-led organizations and community advocates will hold a family and community forum Tuesday, Aug. 11, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Mount Olive Baptist Church, where parents and students will lead discussions about the district’s challenges and potential solutions.
