New York City schools chancellor to resign after federal agents seize his devices

NEW YORK (AP) – New York City Public Schools Chief David Banks said Tuesday he will resign at the end of the calendar year, the latest high-ranking departure from Mayor Eric Adams’ administration amid an escalating federal criminal investigation.

The move comes weeks after federal agents seized Banks’ phones, as well as devices belonging to the city’s police commissioner, two deputy mayors and an aide to Adams. Police Commissioner Edward Caban resigned earlier this month.

In a retirement letter shared with The Associated Press, Banks said he informed the mayor this summer of his plan to leave “after making sure the school year has started well.”

A former teacher, principal and founder of an all-boys public school network, Banks has led the city’s public school system, the largest in the country, since Adams took office in 2022.

The resignation letter made no mention of numerous ongoing federal investigations involving senior Adams associates, relatives of those associates, campaign fundraising and possible influence peddling.

Adams said in a statement that he was “extremely grateful and proud” of Banks’ accomplishments during his years leading the school system.

Banks’ brother, Philip, is a former police officer who now serves as deputy mayor for public safety. Their brother, Terence, a former city subway supervisor, runs a consulting firm that promised to connect clients with key government stakeholders.

Earlier this month, federal investigators seized phones from all three Banks brothers, as well as several other high-ranking city officials.

David Banks lives in Harlem with his partner, Sheena Wright, the first deputy mayor whose devices were also seized. He has previously declined to discuss the search, telling reporters, “I can’t answer those questions.”

Federal prosecutors have declined to publicly discuss the investigation.

Banks’ statement comes as Adams is already grappling with several other high-profile departures. Earlier this month, his chief legal adviser, Lisa Zornberg, resigned abruptly, releasing a brief letter saying she had “concluded that I can no longer effectively serve in my role.” The city’s health commissioner, Dr. Ashwin Vasan, will also step down at the end of the year.

At a news conference Tuesday, Adams dismissed rumors that his administration would be forced to resign because of the federal investigation.

“Employees and staff come and go,” he said. “Very few stay for the full term.”

When Adams, a Democrat, appointed David Banks as chancellor, he called his friend “a visionary, a leader, an innovator who has dedicated his career to fighting on behalf of students.”

Banks founded Eagle Academy in 2004 to educate young Black and Latino boys who he felt were underserved by the education system.

Before being appointed chancellor of schools, Banks managed the foundation that raises funds for six Eagle Academy schools, one in each New York City borough and one in Newark, New Jersey.