BUFFALO, N.Y. — One day after Nardin Academy students walked out of class to protest school president Sandra Betters, the Nardin board of trustees issued a statement calling for the immediate resignation of the president and board chair.
"The current situation and subsequent public attention of Nardin Academy has damaged the integrity and reputation of our historic institution. As such, we are calling for the immediate resignation of the President and Board Chair," the board said in a statement issued Friday evening.
Nine board members attached their names to the statement. Others chose to withhold their names for personal reasons.
"We do not take such an action lightly, but as members of the Nardin Academy Board of Trustees, our primary responsibility is making decisions that are in the best interests of Nardin Academy and our students. In this instance, it is in the best interests of Nardin Academy and our students that these resignations be immediately tendered."
The Kenneth L. and Katherine G. Koessler Family Foundation Inc. agreed with the call for new leadership, issuing a statement on Saturday. The foundation said that it will be "withholding any future financial support of Nardin Academy" until changes at the top are made.
Here is the statement, in full:
The Kenneth L. and Katherine G. Koessler Family Foundation Inc. joins the nine Nardin Academy Board of Trustees as well as faculty, staff, students, and other stakeholders such as the Keane family who have called for the immediate resignation of the President and Board of Trustees Chair.
The Kenneth L. and Katherine G. Koessler Family Foundation Inc. has a long history of philanthropic support of Nardin Academy, but we feel very strongly that until this change in leadership has been made, we will be withholding any future financial support of Nardin Academy.”
In addition to the philanthropic support, our board includes many former students and past trustees of Nardin Academy.
We would not be making such a difficult decision without the best interests of Nardin Academy and its students in mind.