Mayor Eric Adams, facing a major crisis that is worsening by the day, quickly appointed a new schools chancellor on Wednesday, less than 24 hours after the abrupt resignation of David C. Banks, his longtime friend.
The incoming chancellor, Melissa Aviles-Ramos, will take over in January, after Mr. Banks’s resignation takes effect. Ms. Aviles-Ramos, who is currently a deputy chancellor and previously served as Mr. Banks’s chief of staff, is relatively unknown outside the Education Department.
The immediacy of the appointment seemed intended to project stability amid the chaos engulfing Mr. Adams’s administration, as it confronts at least four federal corruption inquiries and a flurry of resignations among senior officials.
Tracking Charges and Investigations in Eric Adams’s OrbitFour federal corruption inquiries have reached into the world of Mayor Eric Adams of New York. Here is a closer look at the charges against Mr. Adams and how people with ties to him are related to the inquiries.
But even in Mr. Banks’s departing speech, the turmoil seemed apparent. Throughout his lengthy opening remarks, he did not mention Mr. Adams by name, referring to him only as the “mayor.”
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SKIP ADVERTISEMENTThe outgoing chancellor, whose phone was seized by federal agents earlier this month, was at turns defiant and defensive on Wednesday.
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