Dr. Marion Wilson was removed from her position as school superintendent of Staten Island’s District 31 in New York City on September 20, amid accusations of making racially charged statements, including allegedly declaring “no more white principals” in her district. After her removal, she was reassigned to a role at the New York City Department of Education’s Manhattan headquarters as a facilitator in the Leaders in Education Apprenticeship Program (LEAP), which focuses on promoting racial equity in training future school principals, The Gateway Pundit reported.
This move follows a period of controversy where Wilson faced allegations of discriminatory comments against white principals. Despite these accusations, which were widely shared online, an investigation in March by the Department of Education concluded that the claims were unsubstantiated. Wilson has maintained her innocence, expressing her dedication to improving education on Staten Island. She also reported receiving death threats related to the allegations.
According to SI Live, Wilson released a statement after the investigation was announced. “As superintendent, my top priority is to increase excellence across all schools throughout Staten Island. The accusations that I sent those text messages are completely false. I have always made strides to build relationships with educators, school leaders, parents and community members with the intention to serve all students and families to the best of my ability.”
The United Federation of Teachers also supported Wilson in their own statement released by Sean Rotkowitz, the Staten Island borough representative for the UFT.
“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,” Rotkowitz said.
In the alleged text messages, Wilson is accused of promising not to hire any more white principals, allegedly writing in one message, “No more white principals.”
According to Politico, on Sept. 24, it was announced that Wilson would be joining the New York City Department of Education’s central office via a memo from Danika Rux, the Department of Education’s Deputy Chancellor of School Leadership. It is the department’s policy not to publicly comment on personnel matters, per DOE spokesperson Nathaniel Styer.
“Dr. Marion Wilson will be transitioning to a central team to serve New York City Public Schools. We thank her for her many years of service to Staten Island and her contributions to District 31,” Rux wrote to her staff in an email.
The New York Post reported allegations that Wilson was recorded making racially charged remarks to Black parents. In one audio recording obtained
from a complainant, Wilson allegedly told a Black parent, “I said no more white principals. I meant it.” In another recording, a voice identified as Wilson purportedly stated, “Us Black folks got to stick together. Ain’t nobody helping us.” These recordings, tied to a discrimination complaint, have fueled further controversy around her tenure as superintendent.Notably, the accusations have been amplified online by right-wing and conservative accounts on Twitter.
Despite these allegations, Styer said that neither of these cases alleging discriminatory statements by Wilson have been substantiated by his office.
“The cases involving these allegations were not substantiated,” Styer told The Post.
A white principal, Heather Jansen, claims in a pending discrimination lawsuit against the DOE that Wilson removed her as principal of PS 46 in June 2023, and it is her lawsuit, which includes the alleged text messages, that has renewed attention around the controversial alleged messages.
Despite this lawsuit, Wilson’s supporters have rallied behind her. State Assemblyman Michael Reilly told The Post that Wilson has always been professional with him and his staff, “In her three years as superintendent, I have only known Dr. Wilson to be professional with me and my staff and an ally for our public schools and an advocate for students, parents, and teachers.”
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