Ex-athletic director pleads not guilty to hiring family

Matt Shomper resigned in 2016 after decade in post.

The former Tipp City schools’ athletic director filed a written plea of not guilty to a misdemeanor charge for allegedly hiring family members to serve as paid workers at school athletic events in 2014 and 2015.

Matt Shomper’s not guilty plea to the misrepresentation by a present or former public official or employee charge was filed in Miami County Municipal Court by defense lawyer James Ambrose. He also filed requests including one for a pretrial conference and for discovery, or information behind the allegations against Shomper.

An arraignment scheduled for March 20 in the Municipal Court won’t be held with the filing. The next court hearing, the pretrial, is scheduled for April 12 before Judge Gary Nasal.

The charge was filed March 2 against Shomper, now 47 and a Tipp City resident. He was placed on paid leave during a 2016 investigation and resigned under an agreement with the Board of Education in May 2016. He had been athletic director since 2006.

The investigation started after a complaint filed with Tipp City police in September 2015 by Tipp City Schools’ Superintendent Gretta Kumpf after irregularities were found by state auditors in a district audit. The allegations included Shomper employing family members.

The investigation became public when search warrants were executed at Tippecanoe High School, at Shomper’s home and his car in February 2016.

The investigation included local police, the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the State Auditor’s Office and the Ohio Ethics Commission. When search warrants were filed, police said the investigation involved inconsistences allegedly found in school athletic department accounts and expanded to include Shomper’s personal travel agency business. No charge was filed in relation to that business.

A Tipp City police report detailed the investigation that included discussions with the BCI and county prosecutors before a special prosecutor from the state auditor’s office was appointed. It also included testimony to the county grand jury to obtain bank accounts — including personal and the Broadway Bound business operated by Shomper — and a search warrant to allow placing a GPS tracker on Shomper’s vehicle. Also explored were documents associated with travel for school-related business and reimbursements.

The single charge filed by the Tipp City police alleges that on or about June 23, 2014, through May 18, 2015, Shomper, “in his capacity as a public official ... did use his authority or the influence of his office to secure the approval of the Tipp City EVSD Board to hire Matt Shomper’s family members ... to serve as paid workers at Tipp City EVSD sporting events.”

The charge states the alleged actions “provided things of value which were of such a character as to manifest a substantial and improper influence upon on Matt Shomper with respect to his duties as a public official.”

Four people are named as those family members.