Sharks Circle Around NYC Schools Chancellor Kamal Samuels

It seems trouble is brewing for New York City Schools Chancellor Kamal Samuels. Sources have indicated that he’s facing significant scrutiny, prompting calls for his resignation.

His week took a nosedive after a tense City Council budget hearing on Monday, where a shocking report revealed that during his tenure as superintendent of District 3 in 2023, he entered into a no-bid contract worth $180,000 with contractor Sean Kreiling, who apparently isn’t licensed by the Department of Education.

Further emails obtained revealed that Samuels split the payments across Kreiling’s two firms to dodge a threshold that would have triggered city financial oversight.

“Chancellor Kamal Samuels has lost the trust of public school parents and educators. He should resign,” said City Councilman Phil Wong (D-Queens) during a conversation with the press.

Insiders at City Hall believe that the Department of Education is bracing for another leadership change, hinting that this could mark Samuels as the fourth chancellor to leave in just five years.

“He’s walking like a dead man,” one source remarked, while another DOE official noted, “People don’t really like him anyway. It seems like he’s out of touch.”

While testifying, Samuels expressed regret over the policy missteps made during his time as superintendent, claiming all questioned actions were intentional and thus presenting a somewhat confusing stance.

Adding to the chaos, Kreiling, unexpectedly called to testify at Wednesday’s hearing, leveled accusations against Samuels and suggested that the Department’s independent investigative body was trying to shield him amid the fraud inquiry. “This organization had a narrative to uphold,” he said, describing how he felt scapegoated for what he termed the “very foolish” decisions made by Samuels.

The June 2025 report from the investigation seems to place blame solely on Kreiling and Samuels’ former deputy superintendent, Mariela Graham, omitting any direct criticism of Samuels himself.

City Councilman Frank Morano (R-Staten Island) emphasized the need for accountability following Kreiling’s testimony, stating, “It’s troubling that there could be a different set of rules for lower-level employees compared to higher-ups.”

As of now, neither the DOE nor Samuels has responded to requests for comments from the press.