Reports have emerged that Akron Public Schools Superintendent Michael Robinson is under scrutiny for alleged bullying and hostile behavior toward colleagues. According to a letter written by the district's former communications director, Mark Williamson, and obtained by WKYC, Robinson engaged in abusive conduct, including yelling at employees in public settings.
Williamson, who retired in October 2023, recounted multiple incidents where Robinson's behavior was said to cause employee distress. One particular allegation includes Robinson using derogatory language to describe two female reporters in the presence of the district's HR director. In a Signal Akron article, he stated, "He did this twice and in the presence of a number of women including our HR director." These reports swiftly add to a growing concern over the superintendent's conduct in a professional environment.
President of the Akron Education Association (AEA), Pat Shipe, expressed dismay over the allegations in an interview with WKYC. Shipe remarked, "It is well known down at the board office that when he's (Robinson) screaming, you can hear him on other floors of the building. That's aggressive. That's aggressive bullying and intimidation and that is an absolute toxic work environment." The AEA's attorney Don Malarcik, echoed these sentiments and spoke to the alleged verbal aggression towards women, "It's shocking and it is appalling that we have to go on camera and talk about this misogynistic, sexist, slanderous terms that our superintendent is using towards women that are just simply doing their job," according to 3News.
In light of these allegations, the Akron Public Schools Board of Education has reportedly commenced an internal investigation to examine the claims thoroughly. However, the AEA contends that the process of leaving Robinson in position and allowing him directly to interact with his accusers is problematic. "Any other employee of Akron Public School would be put on administrative leave," Shipe told Cleveland19 News, underscoring the disparity in the treatment of Robinson compared to that of other school employees who would face similar allegations. Akron Public Schools remains on winter break and, as of reporting, has not stated these issues.
The administration's silence overshadows additional accusations, including public mismanagement, fiscal irresponsibility, and obstruction of legal processes. These relate to the superintendent's use of the "confidential mode" in Gmail, with allegations of tampering with public records to control sensitive information. According to the AEA's Dec. 9 statement, "We believe Dr. Robinson's admitted tampering with public email records — sending emails that disappear under his control in an attempt to manage 'sensitive' topics — is a clear violation of Ohio public records laws," WKYC reported.
