MEDINA, Ohio – Medina residents, angry over spending by school school board members and benefits in the contract of Superintendent Randy Stepp, will protest outside of the high School at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The protest will take place a half hour before a scheduled board meeting.
Mark Kuhar, who created Medina City Schools Outrage Page on Facebook, is furious that the board spent $20,000 to hire a crisis communications firm.
“We’re spending an additional $20,000 to battle what they perceive as a crisis that they created,” Kuhar said.
On Monday, the school board place Stepp on paid administrative leave and ordered him to turn over his school-issued keys, swipe card and school credit cards.
However, Dr. Karla Robinson, the board president, said, “The administrative leave is part of a standard investigatory procedure and is not a disciplinary action or adverse employment action or finding of wrongdoing on his part.”
Auditor Dave Yost agreed to conduct a review after questions arose about a district fund at the Medina County Schools’ Educational Service Center.
The superintendent approved payments from the account that the district board and treasurer didn’t have to approve. Coverage of his educational expenses was part of Stepp’s contract, but the community has questioned other payments he directed, including travel expenses.
Stepp has insisted he has been open, straightforward and “above board” when it comes to any spending.
“I am not going to resign. I didn’t do anything wrong and I do not intend to resign at all. I love this school district. I love this community,” Stepp said.
“All I did was exercise the rights within my contract,” he said. “That’s why I’m a little surprised things are happening as they have happened. I understand people don’t agree with my contract. You have that. I think anybody who negotiates a contract with their boss, if the boss accepts it, you move forward.”
