BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Buffalo Public Schools has released the results of an independent investigation after Buffalo police detective Richard Hy accused the district of cover-ups and obstructing investigations.
Hy made the original accusations on the Unsubscribe Podcast in April 2025. Shortly after, he spoke with 7 News Senior Reporter Maki Becker about why he decided to go public with his allegations. You can watch our reporting in the video player below and read more here.
WATCH: Buffalo detective accuses Buffalo Public Schools of failing to report abuse in viral YouTube podcast
"The Buffalo school system has been intentionally not reporting the assaults of students, sexual assaults between students and then has also used, the Buffalo Police Department school resource officers to write reports and then had their influence over those officers," Hy said on the podcast. He accused attorneys for the school district of refusing to comply with subpoenas and also failing to cooperate with police in investigations.
As a result of these claims, the district hired Rupp Pfalzgraf LLC as the special independent investigator to examine the allegations.
The district said the investigation included interviews with 66 individuals and an "extensive document review." Now, the results of that investigation have been made public.
The report says the investigation "revealed a complex landscape of challenges and opportunities within the District’s approach to student safety," but it did not find evidence supporting all allegations made in the podcast. Although, the investigation did identiify "significant issues requiring immediate and sustained attention."
In a release, the district said in part:
"While the investigation did not find evidence supporting intentional obstruction or systematic cover-ups, it identified systemic challenges requiring attention, including communication protocols, evidence-preservation procedures, training, and coordination between schools and law enforcement and related entities."
In addition, the report says that the district’s safety challenges are "fundamentally systemic rather than individual in nature," and the February 2025 incident in which an Illinois man unlawfully entered a school and attempted to lure and abduct a student "served as a critical illustration
of these systemic vulnerabilities."
"The investigation confirmed that many dedicated professionals within BPS are committed to student safety, but they are operating within a framework that often impedes rather than enables their effectiveness. Teachers report feeling unsupported when raising safety concerns, security officers describe being underutilized as doormen rather than active safety professionals, and administrators struggle with outdated communication systems and unclear protocols. The recurring theme across all stakeholder groups is that individual dedication cannot overcome systemic deficiencies," the report says.
The district said the Board has received comprehensive recommendations and is in the process of fully reviewing and prioritizing.
"Our recommendations, detailed throughout this report, focus on immediate priorities, systemic reforms, and institutional changes," the report says.
You can find the report below. The district said it has been redacted to protect student privacy, security information, and other legally protected matters.
