Embattled NYC Schools Chancellor David Banks exiting post earlier than expected as fed probe intensifies
Embattled New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks will step down in the next couple weeks – months earlier than previously planned,🃏 The Post has learned.
Banks announced his impending retirement from the top post in the Department of Education on Sept. 25 — with his departure originally pegged for the end of December.
The chancellor’s retirement announcement came weeks after the feds raided the home he shares with Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright, whom he married in Martha’s Vineyard over the weeken💦d.
But Banks was nudged from his post sooner by indicted Mayor Eric Adams, 𓃲according to a source familiar with the decision.
“Overꦯ the past several days it became clear to the mayor and his team that New York City schools will be best led by Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos,” the source said Wednesday.
“This was not the chancellor🥂’s decision,” the source said, adding that the mayor made thꦓe call.
A City Hall spokesperson confirmed ;Aviles-🍨Ramos would take over on Oct. 16.
“Chancellor Aviles-Ramos is a lifelong educator and public school veteran whose talent, experience and compassion will lead the school system well through this next chapter,” the spokesperson said.
“We thank Chancellor Banks for his service to the city and nearly one million public scho🍃ol children.”
Banks’ early send-off comes after sources told The Post that Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has the power to remove Adams from office, told Hizzoner he needs to clean house.
It’s unclear if the outgoing school chief was among the officials that Hochul a🌠lluded to.
Adams was federally charged last week in an alleඣged bribery and straw donations scheme by the Manhattan’s US Attorney’s Office.
Banks was initially supposed to retire at the end of the calendar 𒆙year, claiming in a 𝔍resignation letter to Adams last week he always planned on leaving around that time “after ensuring the school year got off to a good start.”
The educator is the latꦅest top official in the Adams administration to leave.&nbs﷽p;
Earlier this week, controversial a🍌ide Tim Pearson informed Adams he was stepping down from his post with his l𝄹ast day this Friday.
During the wide-r𒁏anging Sept. 4 raids that targeted multiple top city officials, cell phones belonging to Banks an🍷d Wright were confiscated by the feds.
🍬Following the raid, Banks claimed he wasn’t 🍎a target of the intensifying probe.
Agents also seized the phoཧnes of Banks’ brother Terence Banks, 🦩a former MTA official-turned-consultant, and another brother, Philip Banks, who is Adams’ deputy mayor for public safety.
The Banks 𒊎brothers have been longtime friends of Adams, who served in the NYPD with their father.
The expedited exit for Banks comesꩵ after he married Wright on Saturday on Martha’s Vineyard, leading to whispers the pair tied the knot to claim legal “spousal priv🐼ilege,” which is the right for husband and wife to refuse to testify against each other.
But Banks insisted he and his new bride had been “planning the marriage for a while” and that their “parents getting older and having some health issues” promp♒ted the weddin🗹g.
“We🐷 made the right decision to do it when we did and any suggestion otherwise to me is just ridiculous on its face,” he said.
