Akron Public Schools Superintendent Michael Robinson is facing new allegations of creating a hostile work environment, this time from dozens of his staff members.
The Beacon Journal interviewed a diverse group of current and recent former staff members from across the district, including several members of his senior staff. The Beacon Journal agreed to not name the employees, who feared retribution for speaking out against their current or previous employer.
Robinson is already under investigation by the board, which has outside lawyers looking into unspecified allegations against him.
Here’s a summary of the allegations against him.
‘I should just fire you all’
The most consistent new allegation against Robinson is that he frequently threatens employees with termination, sometimes in group meetings and other times one-on-one.
One staffer quoted Robinson saying “‘I should just fire you all.'”
Several staff remembered as early as the first senior staff meeting, Robinson told them most superintendents bring in their own staff.
“‘You’re all replaceable. I could have brought in my own team. Most superintendents do bring in their own team. I might make you re-interview for your jobs,'” one staffer remembered him saying in a senior staff meeting.
Principals also reported Robinson threatens to fire them, and that they may think he doesn’t know what’s going on in buildings, but he does.
“It’s just a toxic, threatening, hostile environment,” one senior staff member said. “I think it’s a point where people that can leave will, and the people that can’t leave are miserable.”
Alleged derogatory language
Staff told the Beacon Journal that Robinson has used the term “baby mamas” to refer to APS parents, and in an apparent effort to relate to staff at Buchtel Community Learning Center, allegedly said in a meeting, “I’ve worked in a Buchtel before, all the kids have ankle bracelets,'” implying they are criminals.
Multiple staff have also heard him talk about a previous colleague, who Robinson said died of brain cancer, as having died because he “‘obstructed Michael in his mission.'”
“He’ll tell people, and he’s said it in multiple public meetings, that he’s ordained by God to be here,” a senior employee said.”And people that go against him, God will strike them down.”
New allegations support what has previously been alleged in complaint letters
Many of the stories from the staff support allegations that have already been made public. Several staff members said previous letters from board member Rene Molenaur, former facilities director Steve Keenan and former Communications Director Mark Williamson, rang true to them based on their own experiences.
Williamson reported to the district’s attorneys that Robinson used derogatory language and yells at staff, creating a hostile work environment. Molenaur wrote her board colleagues a letter last year saying Robinson had bullied her, including yelling at her during a video call and calling her a headache and a backstabber. Keenan alleged Robinson had retaliated against him after he raised concerns to the board president about the superintendent’s treatment of staff.
Akron superintendent responds to the allegations
Through an attorney, Robinson released a statement saying he would refrain from commenting on specific allegations until the board’s investigation is completed.
“The Superintendent remains dedicated to fostering a safe and productive learning environment for all students and staff,” the email said. “He will provide further statements as appropriate, adhering to the constraints of the ongoing investigation.”
How has the board responded?
The board’s investigation into Robinson is ongoing and could wrap up in the next week or two. In the meantime, Board President Carla Jackson said in a statement that the board “takes all reports of misconduct seriously and remains steadfast in following due process and legal protocols to ensure that concerns are thoroughly investigated and appropriately addressed.”
She added, however, “professionalism requires that all concerns be examined through an objective lens rather than personal feelings” and that “clear distinctions must be made between holding individuals accountable for their roles and subjective interpretations of leadership style.”
Contact education reporter Jennifer Pignolet at jpignolet@thebeaconjournal.com, at 330-996-3216 or on Twitter @JenPignolet.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: What to know about new allegations against APS superintendent