BUFFALO, N.Y (WKBW) — The Buffalo Public Schools board released findings from an independent internal review of sexual harassment allegations made against board member Muki Hawkins, concluding the investigation found "no substantial evidence" of any policy violations.
Three current BPS employees made sexual harassment allegations against Hawkins. The law firm Hodgson Russ LLP conducted the investigation.
At the end of Wednesday night's BPS board meeting, board President Dr. Kathy Evans-Brown read an open letter from the firm summarizing its findings.
"There was no substantiated evidence of a violation of law or policy with regard to any allegations of sexual harassment or retaliation," Evans-Brown said.
Evans-Brown explained the investigation was thorough and included interviews of the complainants, Hawkins, other relevant witnesses, and a review of other evidence.
WATCH: Buffalo school board investigation finds no evidence of policy violations by board member Muki Hawkins
She added the investigation revealed the importance of collegiality among board members and the need for professional development for all board members.
"Regarding their roles and responsibilities, their authority as individual board members and expectations for professional interactions to avoid circumstances which might create misunderstandings," Evans-Brown said.
Community member Akua Kamau-Harris voiced support for Hawkins following the announcement.
"If it happened, which I can say to his character did not happen, I'm so tired of the board being sued for frivolous nonsense because everybody thinks they can squeeze some money out of us. I'm tired of my tax dollars being usurped for foolishness, and this is foolishness," Kamau-Harris said.
I spoke with Hawkins immediately after the board president's announcement. He thanked the community for its support and said his focus remains on the students.
"I'm very happy that the truth prevailed. That's all. I really have no comment other than that. If it's really not about the kids at this point, I really have no comment. I'm just happy that the truth was finally revealed," Hawkins said.
Hawkins said moving forward, his priorities have not changed.
"Kids. It's always been about the kids, nothing else, so that's always been my focus and that will continue to be my focus," Hawkins said.
Florestal Law Firm, PLLC and John V. Elmore, P.C., counsel for Antoinette M. Amos and Arlene Adams, who have filed complaints against Hawkins, issued the following statement:
"We are aware of the report recently circulated regarding Buffalo School Board Member Hawkins, and we believe it is important for the public to understand what the report is, and what it is not.
The report does not bind the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, any court, or any jury. Our legal system does not resolve claims through a privately retained report. It resolves them through a process in which both sides exchange evidence, documents, testimony, and every other form of tangible and verbal information under oath, subject to challenge, and ultimately tested before a neutral trier of fact. That process has not yet occurred here. We intend to let the legal process proceed, and we are confident in what that process will show.
We represent two courageous women who stand by the truth of every allegation contained in their notices of claim. They are professionals who came forward knowing that doing so would open their lives to public scrutiny and place their careers at risk. This does not change where we stand in our litigation.
Although the district has released its conclusions regarding Board Member Hawkins, the legal team looks forward to reviewing the full contents of the report against Hawkins, and to further reviewing both the findings and conclusions of the report concerning former Superintendent Mubenga, which the district has yet to release or comment on."
