Akron Public Schools Board of Education could vote Monday on the future of the district’s embattled superintendent after an investigation found he had bullied and mistreated staff Its options include firing him.
The board of education voted on April 15 to place Superintendent Michael Robinson on paid administrative leave after they reviewed the results of the investigation conducted by a law firm they had hired. At the time, the board said a "final decision" on Robinson's employment status would be made during its April 28 meeting.
That report, relying on interviews with 16 current and former employees along with other witnesses, alleges Robinson "created a toxic and fearful working environment where employees are subject to pervasive ridicule, unjustified verbal abuse, and are under a constant threat of losing their jobs."
Another law firm hired by the district sent a legal memo to the board on April 15, stating “we believe Dr. Robinson will not be able to continue in his position” given the results of the investigation, according to reporting from Signal Akron and The Akron Beacon Journal.
The memo laid out three paths:
- Fire Robinson for “good and just cause,” a move under Ohio law that would potentially require a hearing with a referee appointed by the Ohio Department of Education if Robinson were to request one.
- Create a legal separation agreement with Robinson, which could include a stipulation for Robinson to not pursue legal action later. Such an agreement would involve paying Robinson in exchange.
- For Robinson to voluntarily leave the district with no formal agreement in place regarding his separation. This would not prevent a potential lawsuit by Robinson down the road.
When contacted about the memo Wednesday last week, Board Member Barbara Sykes told Ideastream Public Media it should not have been released and declined to comment further.
Board Member Gregory Harrison in an interview last week similarly said the memo should not have been released to the public. He said there were “multiple things” provided to the board, suggesting the memo and the investigation report weren’t the only things the board reviewed.
“You never really get a clear picture if you just get parts,” Harrison said.
The board voted 4 to 1, with two abstentions, to place Robinson on paid leave on April 15. Board Member Diana Autry voted “no,” saying she was concerned about the investigation's use of anonymous sources, arguing anonymous complaints lodged against staff without recourse are a problem at the district.
The investigation made clear that the people it interviewed were known to the investigators; their names were just kept out of the report.
Board President Carla Jackson in an April 18 interview said she was concerned that some of the allegations against Robinson mirror anonymous complaints that had been lodged against former Superintendent Christine Fowler-Mack. She said that gave her pause, raising worries about "certain narratives being pushed about who is incompetent" and who is not. Fowler-Mack is a black woman, Robinson is a Black man.
However, she said she believes the claims described in the investigation are "not just make believe or made up."
"There are things in a report that are quoted, that were quotes from the superintendent that supported the behavior and allegations (claims from others)," Jackson said. "And that is not deniable."
Robinson reportedly agreed to a $50,000 contract buyout when he resigned with one year left as superintendent at Pine-Bluff schools in Arkansas in 2018.
