Gary LaMotta, the longtime principal of PS/MS 280, one of the northwest Bronx and District 10’s most successful schools, was reassigned on Feb. 5 to the Region One office pending an internal investigation.

In the meantime, LaMotta has been replaced by Pamela Edwards, who was working as a local instructional superintendent in Region One.

Since 1991, LaMotta has led PS/MS 280, “The Renaissance School,” to high test scores and numerous accolades. During his tenure, the school has grown from a moderate-sized elementary school to a 750-seat, K-8 institution.

With rumors swirling in hallways and at kitchen tables, the school sent home flyers calling for an “Emergency Meeting to discuss parental concerns and/or questions.”

At the meeting, Parent Coordinator Nyes Rodriguez and Parents Association President Frenchie Muniz wouldn’t go into detail about the pending investigation, but did say that it was not criminal in nature, according to a parent who attended the meeting but wanted to remain anonymous. Then they asked the parents in attendance to sign a petition asking for LaMotta’s reinstatement, which the parent thought was unfair given that they knew little about the circumstances surrounding his removal.

Discussion at the meeting drifted toward a female employee at PS/MS 280 who was interviewing for an assistant principal’s position and had apparently filed a complaint against LaMotta, the parent said, adding that Rodriguez wanted to know why she was still at the school while LaMotta had been removed.

Dina Paul Parks, a Department of Education spokesperson, said that the investigation stems from allegations of inappropriate conduct or misbehavior and confirmed that they were filed by another staff person at the school who remains in her position. Separating the parties involved is common practice and doesn’t mean that investigators favor one side of the story, she said.

“I understand that these processes can be upsetting to the school community,” Parks said. “That’s why we want to make sure that it’s a process that is rigorous and thorough.”

These investigations can take anywhere from two weeks to six months, Parks said. Whenever it is completed, she said, there will be a public report released explaining the nature of the allegations and the findings of the investigation.