Just after midnight Tuesday morning, the Akron Public Schools board issued a statement updating the public on its ongoing investigation into Superintendent Michael Robinson, answering the question of who is conducting it and promising a report would be released to the public upon completion.
The investigation is underway but has no set timeline, the board said.
The statement came after a 2½-hour executive session Monday night, which followed a four-hour public meeting.
Here is the full text of the board’s statement, which was read into the record by new President Carla Jackson:
“The review authorized by the Akron Public Schools Board of Education into allegations of misconduct has begun. The law firm of Brennan Manna Diamond is serving as the factfinder and has reviewed documents and conducted initial interviews.
“No deadline has been established so the investigators can take the time they need to conduct a thorough, impartial and independent review of this serious matter.
“The board will provide additional updates as the review progresses. The final report will be made public.
“There is no additional information at this time.”
The board did not address why Robinson has not been put on administrative leave during the investigation, which was launched last month but with little information released at the time. The board has not said what prompted the investigation, only unspecified “allegations.” Publicly, Robinson has been accused of bullying and retaliation of employees, of sending staff “confidential” emails that disappear, and of using a derogatory slur to describe female journalists. Robinson has denied the allegations.
The board also has not said which other administrators are under investigation.
The Akron Education Association issued a statement last week calling for the board to place Robinson on leave, noting several other investigations that played out in the district with the subject of the investigation placed on administrative leave.
“The Akron Education Association calls on APS to apply the same standards to all employees, regardless of position or title,” attorney Don Malarcik said in the statement. “True equity means holding every individual accountable to the same rules and expectations, ensuring fairness and integrity throughout the district.”
Speakers address ongoing Akron Public Schools controversies
While the board did not directly address the investigation until the end of Monday night’s meeting, it came up directly during public comment and subtly during the board’s community and school reflections.
“We need to get back to the children,” board member Summer Hall said during her reflections. “We need to put more media attention on the children; we need to focus on the children.”
She also made reference to posters that had been put up around town over winter break that referred to the superintendent as a bully and called for his expulsion from the district.
“Everything that’s going on, the children see,” Hall said. “And we have to be the example, to let children know that some things that are done, is not OK. What I don’t want to see is children putting up posters of their teachers or their principals because they’re upset with them. And when that happens, I don’t want to hear about kids getting kicked out of school, suspended or expelled.”
A speaker during public comment, Cynthia Blake, called whoever hung the posters a coward.
“Who is the real bully here, and what signals do we want to send to our students?” she said. “Such a cowardly act to hang up pictures around town and then hang their hands behind their back.”
Blake also argued against Robinson being put on leave during the investigation, saying calls for him to be put on leave were attempts to have him sidelined during upcoming contract negotiations with the teachers union.
“We cannot afford for Dr. Robinson to be suspended during this so-called investigation,” Blake said. “If he is to be suspended, then there are a whole lot of other APS staff and board members that need to be suspended as well. We need Dr. Robinson to continue the fight for our children and holding individuals and departments accountable.”
Another speaker, parent William Reynolds, said he was upset by the district’s response to the posters, including a press release issued on New Year’s Day that threatened police action against those who had hung the posters.
“I find this response an attempt to abuse power and frankly, both harassing and bullying the public,” Reynolds said. “For what? For exercising their constitutional rights to speech and protest.”
Reynolds said the claims made against Robinson “strike at the heart of what we stand for as a district: respect, fairness and professionalism.”
Contact education reporter Jennifer Pignolet at jpignolet@thebeaconjournal.com, at 330-996-3216 or on Twitter @JenPignolet.
