AKRON, Ohio — The investigation into Akron school board’s superintendent Michael Robinson continues after allegations about him arose in December 2024.

What You Need To Know

  • Akron Public Schools superintendent is accused of creating hostile work environment

  • An outside firm has been brought in to investigate superintendent but reasons haven't been made clear

  • Supporter said that the school board is overreaching and that superintendent has made great improvements to the district

The board has not said what the allegations entail but school board member Rev. Gregory Harrison accused the superintendent of sending emails via Gmail’s confidential mode. Confidential mode allows the sender to set a message expiration date before the email is automatically deleted.

Robinson is also accused creating a hostile work environment. In a letter to the district, the former director of communications accused the superintendent of chastising him and another employee.

“I can tell you there were at least half a dozen more times I was subjected to inordinate hostility from the superintendent while in a room full of my colleagues,” wrote Mark Williamson.

The letter went on to say that the superintendent referred to two female reporters as derogatory names.

But a member of the community said the board is overreaching and that the real reason for the investigation is his not seeing eye-to-eye with the teacher’s union. She said despite problems he inherited, Robinson has made great improvements to the district 

“He’s done tremendous work throughout the district and getting stuff done and having to fight against employees that are disgruntled, don’t want to change, been down there making a lot of money, holding people accountable to do their job and department to do their jobs, and they just don’t want the change,” said Cynthia D. Blake-Stokes, Akron.

Robinson continues to serve on the school board during the investigation. The school board will meet Monday at 5:30 p.m.