The Akron Board of Education voted Tuesday night to place Akron Public Schools Superintendent Michael Robinson on paid administrative leave after an investigation found allegations of Robinson bullying, intimidating and retaliating against employees to be credible.
The board named Mary Outley, the executive director of elementary schools at APS, as the interim superintendent while Robinson is on leave. Board President Carla Jackson said the board expects to reach a final decision about Robinson at their next meeting.
Jackson said sixteen current and former employees were interviewed, along with an unnamed number of other witnesses, in the investigation conducted by an external law firm.
"Superintendent Robinson's negative conduct is in clear violation of the APS code of conduct and is simply not acceptable conduct by a school official," Jackson said. "Given the severity of the findings, we voted to place Superintendent Robinson on paid administrative leave effective immediately, and we have deployed, developed a plan to take swift action regarding his status. We anticipate a final decision will be made by the next scheduled board meeting on April 28th."
The investigation, which began in late December and was conducted by the law firm, Brennan, Manna and Diamond, was launched after allegations surfaced of Robinson shouting at employees and creating a hostile work environment.
The board voted four to one, with two abstentions, to place Robinson on paid leave. Board Member Diana Autry, the lone "no" vote, said she was opposed to placing Robinson on leave based on "anonymous" complaints.
"I don't believe the superintendent walked into a perfect situation, and I don't think he demonstrated perfect behavior," Autry said after the board vote, when asked if she believed Robinson did anything wrong.
Jackson declined to comment further after the meeting.
Board Member Gregory Harrison said he expected the report of the investigation to be released "today."
The district in a press release said the board has developed a "swift plan for action" regarding Robinson's future employment.
"The Board of Education’s priority remains focused on providing the best possible learning environment for students, teachers, and administrators in Akron Public Schools," the release reads. "The Board appreciates the continued patience of the APS community as this matter progresses toward a timely resolution."
What was Robinson alleged to have done?
The allegations against Robinson began to trickle out into the public eye starting in the middle of 2024, just a year into his tenure, when Board Member Rene Molenaur alleged in a letter she sent to the board in July that Robinson bullied her.
Molenaur alleged the superintendent had called her a "backstabber" and a "headache," and yelled at her in a one-on-one meeting where she was seeking clarity on district policies.
"During that call I even received text messages from other employees asking if I was ok because they heard the superintendent yelling at me through the walls of at 10 N. Main," Molenaur wrote in the letter obtained by Ideastream.
Mark Williamson, the district’s former communication director, outlined various accusations against Robinson in a December 5 letter to the board. In one instance, Robinson allegedly used a derogatory slur to refer to two female journalists, who were not in the room at the time. Williamson also alleged in the letter “at least half a dozen” times in which Robinson yelled at or chastised him, loud enough for people outside a meeting room to hear.
The Akron Beacon Journal found more than two dozen employees who had experienced similar issues with Robinson in a report last week, additionally uncovering allegations of Robinson using derogatory terms to refer to students and parents.
Other questions have been raised about Robinson, now at the end of his second year with the district, including his use of Gmail’s confidential mode to send emails that disappear after a limited period of time and cannot be forwarded and about his resume and work history.
The Akron Education Association, the union representing Akron's teaching staff, has had a contentious relationship with Robinson, accusing him of union busting. It filed four unfair labor practice complaints against the school administration alone last year. Robinson has said he is pro-union and otherwise denied allegations of unprofessional conduct.
The union called on the board of education to place Robinson on leave, shortly after the investigation was announced in December. Board Member Gregory Harrison offered a motion to place Robinson on leave Monday night but rescinded it after Jackson said the investigation report would be ready “soon.”
Pat Shipe, president of the teachers union, said Tuesday that trust has been damaged between employees and the district administration. Still, she said there's "no cause for celebration here" with the superintendent being placed on leave.
"His mentality, that it's us against them, or any superintendent that comes in and believes that it has to be confrontational," Shipe said of her concerns with any future superintendents selected, if Robinson is fired. "Education is changing, and we have to truly look at authentic collaboration if we're going to overcome some of the challenges that are coming down the road."
Robinson is the third superintendent to serve at the district since 2020; former Superintendent Christine Fowler-Mack resigned in 2023 after a contentious relationship with the board of education and the teachers union.
Board Member Autry said she believes issues with adults continue to get in the way of the district serving children.
"Noticeably absent [during the board meeting] was any conversations around academics, which is why we hire a superintendent," Autry said. "And so unfortunately, that has not been a focus here. Personalities, adult behaviors just, in my opinion, got in the way of things. And just overall, climate and culture. Not only of the district, but just the community and world at large."
