Ex-Westerville superintendent accuses district of 'mischaracterization' of his actions

Mark Ferenchik, Columbus Dispatch
Updated ·5 min read
9
Westerville City Schools Superintendent Joseph Clark resigned after the district began a disciplinary investigation over what it said was his personal business use of district resources and use of his position to promote his book. Clark calle that a 'mischaracterization' of his service to the district. Clark will remain as a remote adviser to the district at his salary of $230,000 through July 31, and receive $50,000 for remaining two years of his three-year contract.

Westerville City Schools Superintendent Joseph Clark resigned after facing a disciplinary investigation with the school district for using district equipment to do non-district work.

Clark allegedly recorded online teaching modules for a college teaching job he told school officials he'd quit when he first started with the district last year.

Clark also made a presentation at Otterbein University on Feb. 19 that included a PowerPoint slide containing the Westerville City Schools logo along with an image of a book he authored, after the district told him that he couldn't do such things, according to a March 4 misconduct letter that Mark Cooper, the school district's human resources executive director, submitted to the State Board of Education.

More: Westerville accuses superintendent of misusing district equipment - read the documents

The document spells out the reasons the school district says led to Clark's sudden departure less than five months after he started as superintendent. The letter was contained in Clark's personnel file The Dispatch obtained on Tuesday from the school district.

In an emailed statement to The Dispatch on Wednesday, Clark said that his "unequivocal presence and visibility at school and community events shows that my (college) work was never a distraction from my work as superintendent. It is also seen in education circles as a source of pride to have a superintendent who is a published author."

Clark said that he looked forward to "having the opportunity to clear my name of the (Westerville) Board of Education’s mischaracterizations of my service."

The school district's letter to the State Board of Education said that on or about Feb. 14, Clark recorded several teaching modules for an online course in education leadership that he is employed to teach at the American College of Education, a private, for-profit, online college based in Indianapolis.

"He made these recordings during the school day in his District office using District-owned equipment," the district's letter said, noting there were five such recordings in the recycle bin in Clark's account.

As for the book, the district's letter said that Clark had been told that using his position to promote his book was arguably a violation of state ethics law. That came after he posted a promotion of the book on his Westerville superintendent's page on social media when he started with the district this past fall.

"He took the posting down, but, as is evident from his presentation on February 19, 2024, he did not stop coupling his position as Superintendent for Westerville City Schools with marketing his book," the letter said.

"Dr. Clark was confronted about the foregoing behavior and the potential violations of the ethics laws, as well as violations of a number of Board policies prohibiting the use of District time, facilities, and resources for personal/private business," the letter said. "He was advised that the Board intended to initiate the disciplinary process based on this conduct. Dr. Clark elected to resign his position."

In his statement, Clark said that his work at the American College of Education "gives me access to the best and brightest future principals, developing a network of leaders to recruit when openings occur."

"The Westerville board knew that I would give up my position at ACE if there was a distraction from my work in Westerville," he said.

Clark also said that he never used his position to promote his book. He said that the presentation he gave at Otterbein University was voluntary and unpaid, and that he did not ask the audience to buy his book.

"I was invited by Otterbein University to speak to students in the college of education about preparing for their careers," Clark said. The introductory slide that showed his book was meant to tell the audience something about himself, he said.

Westerville schools announced Clark's resignation on Feb. 26. Clark, who had started with the district on Oct. 1, 2023, cited personal reasons for his decision to resign. Westerville schools spokesman Greg Viebranz said in an email that the district would have no further comment.

According to the terms of his resignation agreement, Clark is acting as special adviser to Interim Superintendent Angela Hamberg through July 31, and will work remotely on an as-needed basis while still getting paid his superintendent's salary plus benefits. Clark was hired at a salary of $230,000 a year.

In addition, the district will pay Clark $50,000 in August after he leaves. According to the district, Clark had two years remaining on his contract after July 31, so the $50,000 is what he will receive as payment for the two years that remained.

Clark had previously been superintendent of the Nordonia Hills City School District, located between Cleveland and Akron in Summit County. He started with that district as an assistant superintendent in 2009, had worked as an administrator in two northeast Ohio school districts — Kent and Barberton — before that, and was an English teacher in the Springfield Local School District near Akron, according to his personnel file.

Joseph Clark began as superintendent of Westerville City Schools on Oct. 1, 2023, but submitted his resignation in late February. He will be acting as a remote adviser and will be on the district's payroll through July 31.
Joseph Clark began as superintendent of Westerville City Schools on Oct. 1, 2023, but submitted his resignation in late February. He will be acting as a remote adviser and will be on the district's payroll through July 31.

The Westerville Board of Education approved Hamberg's employment agreement on Monday.

Hamberg will be paid for work time at a $931 per-day rate, and will serve through July 31 or until another superintendent is hired, the board decides to discontinue Hamberg's agreement, or another mutually agreed date.

Hamberg served as superintendent of Big Walnut Local Schools from June 2015 through July 2022, and now works in a leadership role with the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio.

The Westerville school board on Monday also approved a one-year extension to the current negotiated agreement with the Westerville Education Association, which represents the district's teachers.

The agreement with the teachers' union was to expire on July 31, 2024, but it now runs to July 31, 2025.

The extension includes a 2.7 % base salary increase, so a first-year teacher will be paid $49,262 while one with a master’s degree and 10 years experience will earn $85,563.  All other provisions remain the same.

mferench@dispatch.com

@MarkFerenchik

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Westerville superintendent used school resources for private business