#THREAD: Our docu-investigation is set to start airing in a few minutes on @WKBW, but for those of you who don't have 14 minutes of time to spare, I'll give you a more digestible version of events.
How Black men say systemic racism pushed them out of work: https://www.wkbw.com/news/i-team/i-team-16-black-men-claim-they-were-pushed-out-of-buffalo-schools-jobs-because-of-race

These men worked for @Buffalo_Schools Plant Services Department. Maintenance jobs that paid VERY well. Most took home 6-figures w/overtime. In 2009 the dept started laying off workers -- our men say the Black ones were the first to go. 16 total over 3yrs.
https://bitly.com 

This man, Obi Ifedigbo, hired every worker in this department. He started in 1990, tasked with integrating the Department. He hired most of the men who would lose their jobs before the school board voted to eliminate his position, too in 2012.
https://bitly.com 

Everyone was told the layoffs/position eliminations were because of budget cuts. But, the Department had $8mil in unspent money from a project AND paid $1.9 in overtime the year some of these men lost their jobs.

These jobs have layoff protections, meaning ppl have the first rights to their job if it opens *only for 4 years after a layoff*. After laying guys off, the same manager tried to hire "temporary workers" for their positions while inside the 4 year rehire timeline.

This man, instead of getting his job back, he says he saw temporary workers doing it instead. Mind you, they're paid his same wage and get all the same benefits (union job).
When his position was posted *BEFORE THE 4YR EXPIRATION, he applied for his job back & was passed over.

I sent over a dozen requests to @Buffalo_Schools for comment. They said no every time so I filed for their emails about my investigation, just to see if I could glean any insight. They drafted a stmt, but never sent it. Then Cash told me he had info I filed for.. and I was wrong.

Important note here: I received the records back (late) that I filed for but it was missing positions I knew had been laid off. This is concerning because:
1. they never acknowledged info was missing &
2. I now question the accuracy of every public document received by BPS.

Out of 16 men -- 1 was given their job back before our investigation began, 1 received a financial settlement after probable cause for discrimination was found, and 1 (pictured below) was given their job back after our I-Team started digging in.

Those are some of the highlights of our 2-year long investigation.
I hope you'll watch at 6pm for Part I,
7pm for Part II,
and 11pm for Part III on @WKBW
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