In a surprise move, the board also voted 4-3 to make Mary Outley the new permanent superintendent, pending contract negotiations.
In Akron, Ohio, the Akron Public Schools Board of Education has decided to approve the resignation of Superintendent Dr. Michael Robinson. This decision comes after an independent investigation revealed several violations of district policies and the creation of a toxic work environment characterized by fear.
Following hours of discussions during an executive session on Monday night, the board emerged for a public vote on Robinson’s resignation. Ultimately, the board voted 4-3 in favor of accepting the resignation agreement, which includes a $200,000 settlement for Robinson and his commitment not to pursue legal action against the school district.
Upon the public announcement of the investigation’s findings, Robinson was placed on leave, and Mary Outley assumed the role of interim superintendent. In a subsequent development on Monday, following the approval of Robinson’s resignation, the board made a surprising decision to appoint Outley as the new permanent superintendent by the same 4-3 vote margin, subject to finalizing a contractual agreement.
Outley’s quick promotion was met with strong pushback from some members of the board, who stated they liked Outley but had reservations about such a quick move to give her the fulltime job. A number of those same members also objected to the resignation agreement with Robinson, not because they wanted him to stay on the job, but because they felt he should’ve been fired without financial compensation.
“We cannot afford this. We just can’t afford it,” Barbara Sykes said, referencing the district’s current financial state. “To agree to pay him $200,000 … it would be very irresponsible for me to support (this).”
Sykes noted how Robinson “was hired at the highest level possible,” but according to the investigation, proceeded “to break our policies, to violate our policies” when he “should’ve been enforcing the policies.” Those violations were outlined in the report compiled by Cleveland-based law firm Brennan Manna Diamond, whose members interviewed 16 current or former APS employees including Robinson himself.
The firm concluded Robinson ran afoul of Akron Public Schools’ protocols regarding public records, protection of whistleblowers, and harassment of students and coworkers. Several people investigators spoke to said they were afraid to bring their concerns to human resources because they felt they either wouldn’t be taken seriously or that Robinson would target them, such as when the reported detailed an instance of a high-level worker wrote a letter to the school board before being demoted.
“The overwhelming consensus across witnesses interviewed is that the workplace culture at Akron Public Schools’ central office is ‘toxic,'” the report added. “Other words used to describe the current culture under Dr. Robinson are: ‘horrible’, ‘as bad as it can be’, ‘hostile’, ‘bullying’, ‘intimidating’, ‘fear,’ ‘demeaning.'”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
