The Chicago principal who faced criticism after reporting a Black mom to the Department of Children and Family Services after her 10-year-old son was picked up from school seven minutes after the district deadline has announced her immediate resignation.

Daniela Bylaitis, principal at Inter-American Magnet School, did not mention the controversial incident or the backlash that followed in a resignation email sent to the school community on Tuesday, April 27, but said she had chosen to transition to a “non-school-based role” at Chicago Public Schools.

Parent JaNay Dodson said she broke down in tears of joy after learning of that Bylaitis was resigning. “I was ecstatic,” said the mother of 10-year-old Braylin Harvey.

Dodson, also a CPS teacher, told Block Club Chicago she was preparing to teach a virtual science class at Hyde Park Academy on March 2 when she realized she would be late picking Braylin up from Inter-American Magnet School in time for 4 p.m. dismissal. The family was having bus route issues with the school according to Dodson.

She couldn’t reach anyone at the school or leave the class, so she called her brother, who left work and picked Braylin up at 4:37.

“And that was the end — so I thought,” Dodson said.

Two days later, Braylin was pulled out of class and questioned by a DCFS investigator.

“He didn’t know who she was, but he told me they pulled him out to ask him some questions about home,” Dodson said. “And when it dawned on me that [the school] had actually called DCFS, I did a U-turn and went right back to the school.”

When Dodson approached Bylaitis and asked who had been speaking to Braylin, the principal confirmed it was someone from DCFS.

Then another investigator from the welfare agency showed up at Dodson’s home to conduct an inspection and obtain contact information for people who could provide information about her parenting.

According to a CPS policy sent out to principals on Feb. 5, if a student who can’t travel home by themselves is left at the school after dismissal, staff members should attempt to contact the parents as well as all listed emergency contacts, and advise them that DCFS will be contacted if the child is not picked up by 4:30.

Dodson said no one called her on March 2 and that her attempts to contact the school were not returned. Through phone and email, she tried to contact the school to let them know her brother would be picking Braylin up a little late, but received no response.

But the next day, she received an email from Bylaitis about having missed the 4:30 cutoff the previous day.

“Yesterday, Braylin was not picked up from school until 4:37 p.m.,” Bylaitis wrote in the email obtained by Block Club Chicago. “I am empathetic to the challenges of balancing work and family responsibilities, however, all school employees are mandated reporters and are required to follow CPS protocols and guidance. Please be sure that Braylin is picked up on time tomorrow.”

Dodson said that at the time she didn’t know the authorities would be getting involved. “I thought it was a threat. But I didn’t realize that she had actually called DCFS,” Dodson said.

Dodson said she believes race played a role in the principal’s decision to contact DCFS. She approached another parent who had picked his child up late as well, at about 4:47 p.m. and found out it was the third time he had picked up his son late, although he had not been reported to DCFS.

“So that’s when I realized she doesn’t apply the so-called protocols to everyone,” Dodson said. “I realized the only difference between me and everyone else is that I was Black.”

Dodson said she spoke to other parents who had been late picking up their children as the school finalized bus schedules, but that none of them had been reported to DCFS.

At a meeting in March after the incident, other parents from the school community criticized school staff members for their handling of the situation.

“It seems that the school community failed to show any compassion, grace and peace to this family. I would argue that the entire Inter-American school community failed,” one parent said.

The Chicago Teachers Union also expressed support for Dodson.

Dodson wants the CPS policy to be changed and for Bylaitis to be placed on a “do not hire” list for other schools.

“I don’t want the board to think that her resigning from IAMS is fixing the problem, because it’s not,” she said.

Bylaitis is also in hot water after another parent, Beatriz Gomez, claimed that after a school staffer touched her daughter inappropriately in January 2020 the principal and the school leaders discouraged her from reporting the incident. Gomez said she filed the report anyway but school leaders did not follow up with her.

A CPS spokesperson said the district’s policy surrounding dismissal and pick-up is under review.