School board: ‘Data dump’ led them to act
Attorney’s 33-page report detailed investigation of superintendent.
A “data dump” of information about Superintendent Rhonda Corr, presented during the closed part of the school board’s Nov. 21 meeting, led to her getting placed on administrative leave just seven weeks after receiving a glowing performance evaluation, multiple school board members told the Dayton Daily News.
According to a pre-disciplinary hearing notice released by the board last week, it is considering firing Corr, whose bumpy tenure has included disappointing student test scores, a sports cheating scandal and a bitter contract fight with teachers.
presented Much of to the the information board Nov. 21 was from 33-page report prepared by outside attorney Beverly Meyer. She was tasked with investigating claims made June 12 by Markay Winston, who had been hired by Corr as DPS’ chief academic officer, but then left after only one year. Winston made 31 specific complaints of racial discrimination and harassment, primarily against Corr.
a “prolonged Meyer’s report and describes comprehensive” investigation, with interviews of multiple witnesses and review of emails and other documents. It only cites one clear violation of board discrimination policy, for Corr’s pattern of using “black talk” that insulted black employees. But the report also alleged day-to- day workplace mismanagement. And further DPS investigation revealed claims of improperly received ben- efits and what the board described as unprofessional behavior.
Some of the language in the pre-disciplinary docu- ment spelling out the reasons for the Corr discipline was taken directly from Meyer’s investigative report.
Board President Robert Walker said the decision to sideline Corr relied heavily on the Meyer report. Board member Joe Lacey, who will leave the board in January after being defeated in his re-election bid last month, also said the report greatly swayed the board, which he said was unaware of many of the complaints.
“Most of the allegations in the hearing notice we found out about on Nov. 21, or cer- tainly after Oct. 3,” Lacey said.
thrust Elizabeth into the Lolli acting has super- been intendent’s chair, Corr’s lawyers are punching back against the allegations, and Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley has actively stepped in to try to unify a school board that has added one member and will swear in three more in November.
“People are going to draw their own conclusions,” Walker said of the school board’s performance. “But we have a responsibility to work as the fiduciary body of the district, and that’s what we’re doing.”
Corr, who appeared at a press conference Wednesday with her two attorneys, has not responded to requests for comment.
Raises suspicions
One of the pivotal dates over whether Corr returns to the district — or reaches a settlement in her contract with the board — is Oct. 3. Despite ranking second from the bottom in Ohio in the school report card that came out three weeks earlier, the school board on Oct. 3 approved an evaluation full of praise for Corr and not a single negative comment. Board member John McManus had produced early drafts of the evaluation that were more balanced, includ- ing what he considered con- structive criticism, but those criticisms were struck from the final document. was Lacey disagreement acknowledges among there the board members, resulting in the criticisms getting removed. Instead, Corr drew only praise for her work on busing, student technology and classroom procedures. McManus said it was difficult for him to “come to peace” with the changes but said he did so because he was in the minority. At last week’s press conference, Corr’s attorneys repeatedly brought up the Oct. 3 evaluation, and suggested she is being targeted for political reasons.
“When you have such a glowing review on Oct. 3 that applauds Rhonda Corr’s work in so many different ways across the board ... then certain individuals change and the power structure changes, and all of a sudden we have a totally differ- ent response, it just raises our suspicions,” attorney Jon Paul Rion said.
The Meyer Report
Reading Corr’s Oct. 3 evaluation, you wouldn’t know she is the same per- son described in Meyer’s report, or the board’s pre-dis- ciplinary hearing notice. Meyer wrote that witnesses called Corr “an equal-op- portunity chastiser,” who is openly critical of administrators and frequently casts blame on them. The hear- ing notice followed up with “Administrators report a hostile working environment created by your behaviors.” report Witnesses described in Meyer’s petty or meddling behavior by Corr, including regularly entering others’ closed-door meetings “to determine whether she should be in the meeting.” “Witnesses of all races and levels state that Corr regu- larly interrupts their meetings to speak with them, even when the matters she wishes to discuss are not important in the witnesses’ opinion,” the report says.
Lacey said he was aware of only small workplace concerns about Corr before reading the Meyer report. McManus said the board reacted quickly once it was presented with the information, placing her on leave that same night.
“It doesn’t get any quicker than that,” McManus said. “It would have been irresponsible to act on rumor alone before the process had exhausted itself and provided us with solid information gathered in a proper and official manner.”
McManus’ first evaluation draft had said Corr “needs improvement” in the area of accepting responsibility for successes and failures rather than blaming others. That idea was completely removed from Corr’s final, approved evaluation. But this week’s pre-disciplinary hearing notice says to Corr: “You refuse to accept responsibility for your actions.”
McManus’ draft also gave Corr a negative mark for her ability “to work well with people who represent opposing views.” That, too was removed, but in her report Meyer describes “the continually deteriorating relationship between (Corr and Winston),” with Corr excluding Winston from meetings, reassigning her duties and bickering with her in front of others.
“The Board has been asked
More common are finanhave asked me my opinion, cial cases like former Tecum- both current and incoming seh Superintendent Brad board members, and I said Martin, who was fired for that is not my job. That’s the gambling away tax dollars, or board’s job to decide,” said the ongoing Indian Lake and Whaley, who is running for Hamilton Local (near Colum- governor. bus) cases where superinNewly elected board mem- tendents face sex and drug ber Karen Wick-Gagnet, who charges, respectively. starts work in January, said
One recent local parallel she was unaware there was was the 2014 case of Ketter- even an investigation into ing’s Jim Schoenlein. School Corr until the day Corr was board members said he had put on leave. Newly elected Not all the allegations in such a toxic relationship with William Harris wouldn’t comthe board’s pre-disciplinary the district’s treasurer that ment on Corr at all. hearing notice came from it threatened to poison the Whaley said she was surMeyer’s investigation. entire central office. prised by the positive eval-
On Oct. 3, the same day Both S choenlein and uation Corr received Oct. her evaluation was approved, the treasurer, Steve Clark, 3, given the district’s major Corr filed for divorce from a reached separation agreewoman she had married in ments with the district that Massachusetts in 2007, when bought out a part of their same-sex marriage was not remaining contracts to avoid legally recognized in Ohio. lengthy court battles.
In its hearing notice, DPS Ash said separation deals noted that Corr had marked are the most common outherself single on her W-4 come in cases like these. form, under penalty of per- But he said the fact that jury. the school board makeup is
The hearing notice also about to change is an importsays Corr lobbied for DPS ant issue. to make domestic partner Corr’s hearing is schedlife insurance available in uled for Dec. 13, and barring 2016, bought the insurance a speedy report, the process and collected on the benefit would last into 2018, meanwhen her domestic partner ing three new school board passed away a few months members could be faced with later. But the district points a key early decision. out that Corr was married to Walker said that whenever another person at the time, hearing officer D. Jeffrey Ireas evidenced by the divorce land issues his recommenfiling. dation, the board will take
Rion responded last week it under advisement, but is that Corr believed in good not bound to follow it. faith that she was not marCorr’s contract says she ried due to questions about can be terminated for a matethe legitimacy of the 2007 rial violation of board policeremony. The Province- cies, among other reasons, town, Mass., Town Clerk’s and DPS has accused her office confirmed the exis- of violating policies dealing tence of a valid marriage with the superintendent’s certificate to a Daily News job duties, staff ethics and reporter. staff conduct.
“I think she had to have Rion argued the allegasome idea that she was mar- tions are weak, but would ried,” said Lacey, who is also not say whether Corr’s goal part of a same-sex marriage. is to return to the superin“It just looks to me that it tendent’s job after this turneeds to be investigated, and moil. She is only five months that’s where we’re going.” into a three-year contract. by counsel to withhold com- ment on the pending allega- tions, and I have to honor that,” McManus said. “What I will say, though, is that I stand by every word that I said a month ago about the evaluation process.”
Other allegations The next steps
Tom Ash, director of governmental relations for the Buckeye Association of School Administrators, says disciplinary cases that focus largely on day-to-day work- place issues are rare.
Whaley: ‘Turn page’
Whaley, who is critical of Corr’s term at the helm of Dayton Public Schools, said she had nothing to do with the board’s decision to place her on leave.
“School board members athletic probation, tumultuous negotiations with teachers and general public frustration over academic performance.
She said it’s time now to “turn the page” and said she has met with five of the seven members of the 2018 school board urging them to work together. Of the four board candidates endorsed by Whaley last month, three were elected.
“We really need a high-functioning board in Dayton if we want to be successful,” Whaley said. “That’s been the focus and I feel pretty good about that.”