Michael Robinson is out as superintendent of Akron Public Schools — and Mary Outley is the district’s new education leader, pending successful contract negotiations — after an unexpected and unprecedented ending to Monday night’s board meeting.

The Akron Board of Education voted 4-3 to not wait and conduct the typical, months-long hiring process, which often includes public input. The board did not consult with attorneys and did not give itself time to consider other options to fill the position, including potential internal candidates. 

Instead, it vaulted Outley into the role. The school district needed stability, said board member Diana Autry, who refused to withdraw her motion to vote despite fellow board members requesting executive session or time to mull the decision. 

“In terms of this, our district, our community, they deserve stability from someone that they know at this time,” Autry said. 

Autry’s motion occurred minutes after the board debated whether to accept a $200,000 agreement to part ways with Robinson. The motion also passed 4-3. 

Autry did not answer questions after the meeting from Signal Akron and other media outlets. 

After the meeting, Outley, who was serving as interim superintendent, said she was caught off guard and didn’t expect to be named superintendent Monday night. Nevertheless, she’s glad to be here. Both Outley and Autry are graduates of Buchtel High School. 

“I would be honored to serve Akron Public Schools as its next superintendent if given the opportunity,” Outley said when asked during the deliberation if she was interested in the role. The process on Monday night moved so fast, at least one board member wasn’t sure if she was even interested in the job.

What did other board members say about Autry’s motion to hire Outley? 

Autry’s motion was met with hesitation and frustration from three board members: Barbara Sykes, Rene Molenaur and Gregory Harrison, all of whom voted no. 

Before the vote was taken to approve Outley as the new superintendent, Sykes voiced her dismay at the abbreviated process. 

“I just think this is very unfair to do this, to do this type of thing, we need time to deliberate,” Sykes said. “We need time to decide upon this, we need time to talk to the community. We need time before we look at making yet another decision to hire a permanent superintendent.”

Harrison said the board owed the community “due diligence” in its search for a new superintendent following truncated and tumultuous tenures by Robinson (2023-2025) and Christine Fowler Mack (2021-2023). 

“This is a half billion dollar business,” Harrison said. “We don’t run a half billion dollar business on feelings. This is not our money. We don’t run this district like it’s our personal money. It’s not, this is taxpayers’ money, and we owe it to the taxpayers to do due diligence in the search.”

Yet Board President Carla Jackson, Board Vice President Bruce Alexander and Board member Summer Hall joined Autry’s motion and voted yes on Outley.

“She’s done the work,” Jackson said after the meeting adjourned. “She has the experience on various levels from classroom to building principal to central office to interim superintendent. As I rationalize through it in this very short window, the motion is on the floor and I could give it a yes.” 

When asked if the selection of Outley was a disservice to other potential candidates, Jackson said she was not worried. 

“An opportunity sometimes comes with a head and not a tail,” Jackson said. “So this was the opportunity that opened up for Mary Outley. It’s her time, and this is the opportunity that happened, just like it was the opportunity for Dr. Robinson, the least likely candidate at that time to get the position.” 

Signal background

What are the details of Robinson’s separation agreement? 

The board voted 4-3 to accept Robinson’s resignation letter and the resignation agreement between the district and the former superintendent. The district will pay Robinson $200,000 to leave, forgoing a termination process that would’ve likely cost half as much, but opened board members, Robinson and district employees up for subpoenas. 

His time in Akron is over, and his resignation is immediate. 

In July of 2023, Robinson agreed to a five-year employment contract worth $240,000 annually. Jackson noted that he had about $900,000 left on his contract. 

Why did the board decide to separate from Robinson? 

An investigative report, compiled by the firm Brennan Manna Diamond and released on April 15, concluded that Robinson routinely shouted at, demeaned, harassed and threatened employees. It also corroborated allegations that he spoke disparagingly about students and threatened an elected board member’s children. 

During Monday’s meeting, Harrison implored the public to read the report, especially areas where Robinson’s responses were quoted. 

“Dr. Robinson called our kids ghetto,” Harrison said. “That’s something he admitted to in the report.” Harrison continued during his remarks, focusing on claims that Robinson threatened a board member’s children and spoke harshly about district students. 

Harrison later continued: “Dr. Robinson made disparaging remarks about a board member’s children,” Harrison said. “Children. Which we know, typically is off limits in any type of dispute. So the superintendent of the schools is making disparaging remarks about our kids. We would never, ever let a white person call our kids ghetto. Period. 

“We would not allow that in any way, but it happened, and not only did it happen, he admitted to it.” 

The report, which relied on 16 interviews and was 24 pages in length, found that employees reported “feeling that any misstep would result in termination… Almost every witness expressed to BMD their real fear of losing their job.”

The report followed more than one year of allegations against Robinson. Some originated from the Akron Education Association, the teachers union, which has filed more than a dozen grievances and five unfair labor practice complaints against the district during his tenure. 

Some complaints came from community members, particularly after Robinson’s guest sermon at a local church — he criticized his detractors, saying he was preparing for his “crucifixion.” 

That language matched some of the report’s findings, which state that Robinson made statements that staff “found threatening and intimidating, including but not limited to: ‘I am ordained by God,’ ‘I am the great I am,’ and ‘I have divine discernment.’ Dr. Robinson himself acknowledged to the investigators that being the Superintendent is his ‘ministry’ and that he is ‘anointed.’”

The report also collected statements from interviewees that Robinson insinuated he was dangerous and connected to organized crime. According to the report, Robinson “denied that he has ever stated or implied that he is dangerous, or that he has connections to organized crime, but agreed that he makes statements that people will get what they deserve.”

Now, with Robinson exiting Akron schools and Outley ascending to leadership pending a contract, board members hope familiarity and continuity will help the district heal. 

“She’s an APS proud graduate,” Jackson said, “daughter of the city and the district, I’m hopeful moving forward that we can move forward together.”

Education Reporter
Andrew is a native son of Northeast Ohio who previously worked at the Akron Beacon Journal, News 5 Cleveland, and the Columbus Dispatch before leaving to work in national news with the Investigative Unit at Fox News. A graduate of Kent State University and a current resident of Firestone Park, he returns to his home city of Akron ready to sink into the education beat and provide Akronites with the local reporting they deserve.