BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Buffalo Board of Education has yet to vote on a third-party independent investigator to look into claims made a month ago on a podcast by Buffalo Police Detective Richard Hy. The detective claims the district is covering up abuse inside schools.
Hy made the original accusations on the Unsubscribe Podcast in April. He previously spoke with 7 News about why he decided to go public with his allegations. You can read more here.
According to the district's website, the deadline for third-party firms to submit a proposal is May 30.
Council member Zeneta Everhart, chairperson of the Education Committee, addressed this timeline.
Drantch: Is this just an abject failure of all levels of government at this point?
Everhart: I don't believe so. I think the school district did exactly what they were supposed to do that day -- in the moment -- when it happened.
WATCH: Everhart says there were changes made in the school after that incident.
Everhart was specifically referencing an incident in February, where an Illinois man allegedly got into the Dr. Charles R. Drew Science Magnet School. He is accused of one count of attempted kidnapping, among other charges. Hy later came out and said there were two children at risk.
WATCH: New details on Buffalo detective's accusations of coverups of abuse at Buffalo Public Schools
Hy said surveillance video had also been deleted from that winter incident, explaining police and the district are not working together.
"I feel like they were," Everhart said. "I spoke to the commissioner of the police department. I spoke to the superintendent. To me, they seem to be working hand in hand."
Drantch: Do you not believe the claims [that the school district is not cooperating with police]?
Everhart: I'm not saying that I don't believe the claims...but I'm also not saying it's all true. When I'm saying there's evidence to talk about exactly what happened that day -- and I've seen it -- so it does go against those claims.
Drantch: Are you saying you've seen the evidence?
Everhart: I'm saying there is evidence. We know what happened that day. That's what I'm saying. The police know what happened that day. I've had conversations with the superintendent. I've had conversations with the police commissioner. Everyone knows what happened that day. Not out there in the public, because there is a case. So you can't just come out and say these things, and people need to understand that.
Hy has since appeared in more national podcasts, slamming the school district for not responding quickly to his original allegations. He appeared again on the Unsubscribe Podcast and also appeared on the Black Rifle Coffee Podcast, where he made another new allegation specifically targeting teachers. You can watch our report below and read more here.
I worked to speak with Buffalo's Acting Mayor Chris Scanlon during a public event on Tuesday. Scanlon left mid-event without taking questions. A spokesperson said he had 11th-hour budget negotiations before a $622 million spending plan could be voted on.
7 News has learned that attorney Kayla Ferrel Onder is planning to file a legal complaint against Buffalo Public Schools, alleging that a dozen of her clients are victims of failed abuse reporting and sexual assault.
Onder runs the Sexual Abuse Department at OnderLaw, LLC, based in the St. Louis, Missouri area. She said that her team is looking into several allegations of abuse cover-ups, mandated reporter failures, harmful disciplinary practices and sexual assault.
Onder did not confirm if Hy's comments are connected to her current clients, but said that the podcast may have encouraged potential victims to come forward. You can read more here.
A Buffalo School Board meeting is set for Wednesday afternoon.
