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Parent tells Buffalo board her special‑needs daughter was left unsupervised and entered school pool; superintendent promises follow-up
Summary
At the Nov. 20 meeting a parent, Dorothy Johnson, said her daughter was left unattended by school staff and entered a school pool in May; Superintendent Tanya Williams Knight apologized publicly and pledged to meet with the parent within days to investigate and provide support.
A Buffalo parent told the Board of Education Wednesday that her daughter, a student with special needs, was left unsupervised by staff and entered a school pool in May, an incident she says caused ongoing trauma. Dorothy Johnson described watching video footage in which a teacher said, "Whatever happens, happens," and said a school employee named Devin pulled her daughter from the pool.
"My daughter has not slept through the night since May," Johnson said, asking what happened to the teacher and whether the district would provide accountability and follow-up. She said the teacher was later placed on administrative leave and raised concerns about other incidents involving her daughter, including a bruise and an episode in which a teacher allegedly put her daughter out of the building.
Superintendent Tanya Williams Knight apologized publicly for not personally contacting Johnson when the incident occurred and said she would reach out to meet "within the next day or so" to understand the situation in more detail and discuss supports. "I will be reaching out to you within the next day or so to see how we can support your daughter," Williams Knight said.
The superintendent said staff typically follow up on parent concerns but acknowledged Johnson’s account required more time than the meeting's three-minute public comment window allowed; she instructed staff to provide a direct contact and a follow‑up discussion outside the meeting. No formal action or disciplinary outcome was announced at the meeting; the board recorded that an executive session earlier in the evening had addressed pending litigation and Division of Human Rights matters but that no official action was taken there.
Next step: Superintendent Williams Knight said she would call the parent and arrange a meeting to review the incident and available supports. Board members asked staff to follow up and provide additional information to the parent and the board as appropriate.
