MILWAUKEE — The man recently hired to be a deputy superintendent for Milwaukee Public Schools will not be stepping into that role after all.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE | EXCLUSIVE: New MPS deputy superintendent on leave in Minneapolis amidst financial crisis investigation
Ibrahima Diop, who served as the senior financial officer for Minneapolis Public Schools for the last decade, was hired by Milwaukee Public Schools on Dec. 18 as the Deputy Superintendent of Operations with an annual salary of $240,000.
In a letter to employees Thursday, MPS Chief of Staff Michael Harris wrote: "While we are not able to share details on personnel matters, Mr. Diop will not be coming to Milwaukee Public Schools. We will re-post the position."
Watch: Recently hired MPS deputy superintendent 'no longer coming' to Milwaukee
The announcement came a day after TMJ4's Chief Investigative Reporter Jenna Rae broke the story locally that Diop was placed on leave while serving as a senior financial officer for a Minneapolis school district.
According to the Minnesota Reformer, Diop and two other senior leaders in Minneapolis were put on administrative leave after the school board learned leaders failed to submit necessary financial paperwork to the state, as the district faces a $25 million budget shortfall.
Milwaukee Public Schools has faced similar financial challenges. In May 2024, MPS also failed to submit its financial records to the state, and the state threatened to withhold tens of millions of dollars.
Both Diop and MPS superintendent Brenda Cassellius declined interview requests when Rae was first looking into this story.
MPS did provide the following statement Wednesday:
"We learned of this new information late yesterday afternoon. We are reviewing it with the city attorney's office and will make a determination based on the facts involved. We cannot comment on the details of any personnel matters."
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