Following “Got To Go” List Scandal, Success Academy Fort Greene Principal Announces Leave Of Absence

Candido Brown, principal of Success Academy Fort Greene, has already begun a leave of absence, reportedly for personal reasons. The news comes two months after it was revealed in the New York Times that Brown had once maintained a list of students who have “got to go” — nine of the 16 students on the list have since left the school for various reasons.

According to the Times, Brown referenced the recent scandal in an email sent to the school community this past Monday, January 4:

Ann Powell, the Success spokeswoman, said on Monday that Mr. Brown had requested leave, starting immediately.

On Monday, he sent an email to the school’s families saying that “the past few months have been difficult for our community and for me personally,” but that parents’ commitment to the school and staff had “been a source of strength.”

The acting principal will be the school’s fourth leader since it opened in 2013.

Success Academy founder Eva Moskowitz has denied that the incident is indicative of anything school-wide, referring to it only as an isolated case and choice by Brown.