BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Buffalo Police SVU Detective Richard Hy recently appeared on a popular YouTube podcast and accused Buffalo Public Schools officials of failing to protect children from abuse and even obstructing investigations by police.
We're taking a closer look at two cases he highlighted in the "Unsubscribed Podcast."
Back in February, Buffalo police arrested 30-year-old Shane Cronin of Lombard, Illinois, after he allegedly entered the Dr. Charles R. Drew Science Magnet School and approached a student. An assistant principal tried to intervene, and Cronin allegedly punched and shoved the assistant principal.
Police said they found Cronin hiding inside the Buffalo Museum of Science, which is adjacent to the school.
Hy told 7 News that there's much more to the story. He said that Cronin tried to abduct two children at the elementary school, a girl and a boy, but that the school never told the boy's family about the abduction attempt against him.
He also said that there's evidence that the school erased surveillance video of the incident, but that someone at the school took cell phone video of that incident and gave it investigators.
"So what started out as an investigation where there was no video evidence and only one victim per the school, ended up being that there was video evidence," Hy told 7 News in an interview Saturday night. "It was deleted by the school, given to the district attorney's office by somebody that worked for the school and then, in that moment and only at that moment, when the district attorney was looking at the video, determined there was a second child victim and then the assistant district attorney had to notify the family members of that child that 'Hey, Your son was nearly abducted this day.'"
Hy also talked about another case, one he personally investigated.
In October, he said a girl at a Buffalo high school went to her counselor to say that her father had been beating her. Hy said the counselor did not call the authorities, even though she is a mandated reporter of child abuse. Hy said the girl went to her a second time and showed her cell phone video that showed evidence of abuse, but Hy said that even then, the counselor did not report it.
“It's only until the third time when the child comes into school black and blue, literally, in the morning, where the child is immediately...in an emergency situation, you can remove a child from a parent's custody, and that's what had to be done," Hy said.
The father was arrested and charged with third-degree assault and endangering the welfare of a child. The girl was taken to a shelter for safety.
A spokesperson for the Buffalo Public Schools issued the following statement over the weekend in response to Hy's allegations:
"The Buffalo Public School District is aware of unfortunate and untrue recent allegations circulating in an online video.
The district is prepared to vigorously address these untruths.
The district has prioritized the safety and security of its students and staff every day. BPS is the second largest district in NYS with some 60 schools, 30,000 students, and 7,000 staff and any transgressions that may happen are handled swiftly with seriousness, integrity, fairness, and empathy.
The Buffalo Public Schools maintains a close and professional relationship with the Buffalo Police Department as a means to ensure that safety is a priority."
The Buffalo Board of Education held a special meeting on Monday and responded to the allegations, saying it will conduct an independent external investigation.
"The Board of Education takes allegations about the well-being of our students seriously," said Board President Dr. Kathy Evans-Brown. "The BOE is initiating an independent external investigation and the results will be shared publicly."
You can watch our report below and read more here.
The Erie County District Attorney's Office issued the following statement:
"The Erie County District Attorney’s Office is committed to the thorough investigation and prosecution of any crime against a child. We continue to handle any allegation of sexual assault, child abuse and tampering with evidence with the utmost seriousness. The District Attorney is aware of the statements made by a member of the Buffalo Police Department regarding the Buffalo Public School District in a recent podcast. While we understand these statements have raised concerns about the safety and well-being of children in our community, our office cannot comment at this time as to not compromise any potential investigation that may relate to those public comments. Additionally, some statements made during the podcast involve an ongoing criminal case, and our office does not comment on any matter currently pending prosecution."
A spokesperson for the Buffalo Police Department issued the following statement:
“The Buffalo Police Department is aware of the concerns raised by one of our members regarding the handling of incidents involving student safety. We are committed to conducting thorough investigations to ensure transparency and accountability. While we are unable to comment on specific details due to pending investigations, protecting the safety and well-being of our community's youth remains a top priority. We will work diligently with all stakeholders to uphold the trust placed in us."
