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Staten Island’s black superintendent has denied sending a series of anti-white text messages to a staff member vowing to give white principals the sack as she pushes for more diverse staff in the district.
Screenshots of the texts, attributed to Dr Marion Wilson, appear to show the educator promising to ‘clean up this island’ and said: ‘No more white principals on my watch!’ according to silive.com.
Copies of the messages were sent in emails to Chancellor David Banks and the Department of Education (DOE) as well as city officials from the encrypted email address Mikeboy70@protonmail.com, the New York Post reported.
Multiple investigations involving the salacious text exchange have been launched – but the DOE has called them ‘unsubstantiated’ and ‘fake’ as they continue the probe.
Staten Island’s black superintendent Dr Marion Wilson denied sending a series of anti-white text messages to a staff member vowing to give white principals the sack
One of the alleged texts sent under Wilson’s name and obtained by the outlet said: ‘No more white principals on my watch!’
‘I need to clean up this island,’ another text reads.
‘White folks need to recognize this is not the boys club anymore. A strong black woman runs this b***h now, and they can either get on board or get out.
‘If they don’t get out, I’m going to take them out one by one. They’re not gonna know what hit them. Gonna be fun.’
A third text said, ‘Chris’s white a** is G-O-N-E. It’s happening.’
The text was allegedly in reference to Christopher Anzalone – a former executive director of District 31 who moved to District 23 in Brooklyn as executive director of school support and operations.
‘I agreed to take CL … She’ll keep the white folks off my back,’ the text adds referring to Christine Loughlin, who was removed by Chancellor Banks as superintendent of District 3 in Manhattan.
Loughlin, who is white, now serves as executive director of school support and operations in District 31.
Another screenshot which claims to be someone texting Wilson purports to show the pair talking about two white Staten Island principals, David Cugini of Susan Wagner HS and Nicholas Mele, the New York Post reports.
‘LOL Mele and Cugini better play nice. They’re first up on the chopping block,’ the alleged text states.
The text messages were first investigated by the New York City Special Commissioner for Investigation (SCI) but was referred back to the DOE for action in October.
At that point, the DOE launched its own investigation through the department’s Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO).
A DOE spokesperson told silive.com that the SCI is now looking into the origins of the texts.
‘This story has been kicking around since August, and it’s not true,’ DOE Press Secretary Nathaniel Styer told the outlet.
‘SCI is not investigating her. SCI is investigating fake texts and spoofing.’
The United Federation of Teachers (UFT) said it stands behind Wilson and the job she has done for Staten Island schools.
The screenshot alleged texts surfaced amid Wilson’s push to employ more ‘BIPOC’ – black, indigenous, and people of color – to work in Staten Island schools, a parent told the outlet.
‘Dr. Wilson cares deeply about our students and school communities. One of her talents is her ability to bring people together behind the common cause of raising student achievement in all our schools,’ Sean Rotkowitz, Staten Island borough representative for the UFT, told the outlet.
Multiple investigations involving the salacious text exchange have been launched – but the DOE have called them ‘unsubstantiated’ and ‘fake’ as they continue the probe
‘As both a deputy superintendent and now as superintendent on Staten Island, Dr. Wilson has a track record of looking at evidence and data and then making fair decisions that support students, school communities and staff.’
Wilson, who has worked for the city DOE was appointed superintendent of District 31 in August 2021.
Prior to her appointment, she’d worked as a teacher, instructional coach, principal, principal leadership facilitator and deputy superintendent for the district.
Wilson was reappointed to the role of District 31 superintendent in June 2022.
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