David Banks, the New York City schools chancellor, will quit even earlier than planned, the embattled Adams administration announced late Wednesday. Banks — whose home he shares with his now-wife, Sheena Wright, first deputy for Mayor Eric Adams had been raided by the FBI in early September — is the latest senior staffer to abruptly leave. Banks and Wright were married in the past few days.
He was supposed to leave the chancellorship Dec. 31 and be replaced by Melissa Aviles-Ramos in the new year; instead, he’ll leave mid-October and she’ll take over then. "In advancing this mission, it became clear that our students will be best served by having the same leadership through as much of the school year as possible, rather than changing chancellors halfway through," according to a statement from Adams spokeswoman Amaris Cockfield.
"We have decided to accelerate the start date of Chancellor Aviles-Ramos to October 16th so that she can immediately begin executing on her vision for New York City Public Schools." Banks, 62, is one of at least a half-dozen Adams staffers to have their homes raided and cellphones seized by federal investigators looking into potential corruption. Get the latest updates on how education is changing in your district.
By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy . He is one of three brothers — Phil, the deputy mayor for public safety, and a political consultant, Terence, are the other two — under federal investigation. None of the Bank.