Former Westerville City Schools' Superintendent Joseph Clark resigned amid a district disciplinary investigation.
In a letter to the State Board of Education Office of Professional Conduct, the district executive director of human resources claimed that on or around Feb. 14, Clark recorded teaching modules for another job with the American College of Education during the school day and on district-owned equipment.
The letter asserted that Clark had said he intended to stop teaching at the American College of Education, where he is a senior core professor in the educational leadership Master’s program.
The letter also alleged that Clark used his public position with Westerville to promote a book he wrote.
It said that on Feb. 19, Clark used the Westerville City Schools' logo alongside an image of a book he wrote during a presentation at Otterbein University, and that on an earlier occasion, he posted a promotion for a book he wrote on his official Westerville City Schools' page.
“Dr. Clark was advised that using his public position to promote his book (i.e., his private business) arguably is a violation of the ethics laws,” the letter stated. “He took the posting down, but, as is evident from his presentation of February 19, 2024, he did not stop coupling his position as Superintendent for Westerville City Schools with marketing his book.”
“Dr. Clark was advised that using his public position to promote his book (i.e., his private business) arguably is a violation of the ethics laws."- Letter to State Board of Education
Clark is serving as a special advisor to Interim Superintendent Angela Hamberg. Clark is expected to work remotely on an as-needed basis to assist with the transition. He is still being paid his superintendent salary and benefits through his official resignation date of July 31.
Clark was hired in October with an annual salary of $230,000. His original contract was set to end in July 2026.
Clark’s resignation agreement shows the district will pay him $50,000 in August after his departure.
Clark has worked in education since 1992, according to his biography on Westerville City Schools' website. Before coming to Westerville, he spent 12 years as superintendent of Nordonia Hills City Schools in northeast Ohio.
Hamberg started as interim superintendent on Monday. She is being paid a daily rate of $931, and is expected to serve in the position until another superintendent is hired.
Hamberg came to the district from the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio, where she was a high quality instructional materials specialist and certified executive leadership coach. Before that, she served as superintendent of Big Walnut Local Schools from 2015 to 2022.
The Westerville Board of Education approved her contract in a special meeting on Sunday, when they also approved a one-year contract extension with the district's teachers' union.
The agreement with Westerville Education Association that was set to expire this year was extended through July 31, 2025, with a base salary increase of 2.7% for the 2024-2025 school year.
