Job Esau Perry confirmed to Signal Akron that he is resigning from Akron Public Schools’ Board of Education at its regular meeting today.
Perry, who is in his first term as a board member, will be stepping down to fill a part-time magistrate appointment under Judge Elinore Marsh Stormer. Perry will be hearing mental illness cases, which he said he has previously worked as a defense attorney.
“It was a spur of the moment thing that I accepted,” Perry said.
Perry said he was offered the appointment within the past two weeks. The appointment to the magistrate’s position is a significant step in his legal career; he has been a criminal defense attorney since 2005. A person in Stormer’s office confirmed that Perry has been appointed as a part-time magistrate in her court.
Summit County probate judge on Perry: ‘Well prepared, his clients respect him’
Stormer confirmed to Signal Akron that Perry will be appointed as soon as his resignation from the board is official. She’s worked with Perry for 10 years when he was representing patients who were recommended to be committed by their doctors. Now, he’ll be hearing their cases.
“He’s always very well prepared, his clients respect him, you always know that he knows what he’s doing,” Stormer said.
Stormer said Perry has many of the attributes she looks for in a magistrate, especially one who will be hearing sensitive mental health cases.
“He has, to me, a positive outlook on what we do, and that’s important because a lot of what we do is very sad,” she said. “… He’s very compassionate about that and I think he’ll be a very compassionate magistrate.”
Perry said his resignation from the board is “bittersweet,” and he had every intention of fulfilling his term when he was elected in 2021.
He is in the third year of a four-year term, which ends Dec. 31, 2025. Perry is the Finance and Capital Management Committee Chair and serves as the Ellet cluster and Ward 6 liaison. It is unclear what process will be utilized to fill his committee chair role.
Perry said he would remain involved with Akron Public Schools in some capacity, but that his appointment as a part-time magistrate would keep him from serving as a member of the school board under Ohio’s Rules for Professional Conduct.
Specifically, Perry said he would remain active in advocating for the upcoming Akron Public Schools’ levy, and would consider joining the citizens committee.
How does Akron Board of Education replace board member?
When a board member retires, board policy states their vacancy will be filled through a majority vote of the remaining board members. The vacancy must be filled at the next regular or special board meeting, but at least 10 days after the vacancy occurs.
The next regularly scheduled board meeting is Oct. 7, which is a shift from the regular scheduling of the second and fourth Monday of each month to avoid conflict with the Ohio School Boards Association conference.
The board is allowed to seek candidates from the community to fill the vacancy, and applicants must submit a notice of interest to Board President Diana Autry. The board will then interview candidates. It also has the latitude to select a qualified candidate under Ohio Revised Code.
Whoever fills Perry’s position will serve until his term expires at the end of 2025. If the board cannot fill the vacancy within 30 days, the Summit County Probate Court will step in for the board and perform its duties.
