Findings of inappropriate touching preceded a Rossford Schools administrator’s resignation last week for at least the second time in his career, yet district officials are not saying much publicly about the case, and that silence doesn’t sit particularly well with at least one school board member.
The school board voted unanimously to accept Pat Murtha's resignation April 22 after a two-month investigation into allegations from students who said the athletic director and high school assistant principal acted improperly.
District records state an investigation concluded Mr. Murtha, 48, engaged in "inappropriate conduct," including unwanted touching of the students' hair and shoulders, but school officials determined his conduct did not violate Rossford's sexual harassment policy.
School board president Dawn Burks this week referred all questions to Superintendent of Schools Dan Creps, but Mr. Creps has repeatedly refused to be interviewed.
"We have agreed as a board that we would have all communication go through the superintendent," Ms. Burks said in an email. "I have shared your interest with the superintendent and he should be following up with you."
In an email sent to board members and The Blade Wednesday, board member Tiffany Densic expressed frustration with the district's decision so far to decline all interview requests.
"I am very sorry to hear your requests for an interview have not been granted to our Superintendent as you have requested," Mrs. Densic said. "It is my belief, coupled with the training I have received on behalf of the Ohio School Boards Association while attending their annual convention in Columbus, the more transparent we are about issues, the sooner those issues can be corrected and dealt with."
In an email Wednesday, Mr. Creps again turned down a request for comment. He referred The Blade to his one-sentence statement released to the media April 22, the only public comment on this matter from the district.
"Given the circumstances, it was in the best interest of our students and the district to reach an agreement to part ways," Mr. Creps wrote at that time.
Mr. Murtha has denied wrongdoing in the Rossford case. He has not responded to multiple requests for comment.
His resignation from his Rossford post comes after he was disciplined in 2004 by the Ohio State Board of Education for problems that occurred while working for the Athens schools in southeast Ohio. In that case, he was found to have made repeated sexual remarks to a female Ohio University student who was working as a trainee at the high school.
According to a transition agreement signed by Rossford officials and Mr. Murtha in April, his resignation in lieu of termination allowed Mr. Murtha to avoid having any discipline appear in his personnel file.
The district also agreed to give Mr. Murtha a “letter of reference” that will “reflect the dates of Mr. Murtha’s employment and Mr. Murtha’s positions held.”
It's unclear if Rossford officials were aware of Mr. Murtha's past when he was hired in 2004. Ms. Densic previously told The Blade that part of Rossford’s two-month investigation focused on what the district knew in 2004. Media reports were published in 2003 and 2004 concerning the Athens situation.
Mr. Murtha's personnel file from Athens includes a letter from then-superintendent Carl Martin reprimanding Mr. Murtha for making "inappropriate comments" and "touching without consent the hair, face, and/or lower back of various members of the Athens City Schools community."
Mr. Murtha resigned in 2003, but it did not take effect until July 31, 2004. His contract with Rossford began the next day.
Rossford placed Mr. Murtha on paid leave Feb. 18 following the allegations.
District records show three students made complaints against Mr. Murtha in February, 2019. School officials who investigated the students’ claims found Mr. Murtha engaged in “inappropriate conduct.“ Per a statement from Rossford schools, Mr. Murtha’s conduct did not constitute sexual harassment as defined by district policy.
Prohibited acts under the district's sexual harassment policy include "unwanted physical and/or sexual contact" and "unwelcome and inappropriate touching, patting, or pinching."
The transition agreement calls for Mr. Murtha’s employment to end July 31. He was reassigned to complete any necessary work from home with full pay and benefits.
Mr. Murtha’s annual salary was $91,686, according to district records. He will also receive compensation for all unused vacation and personal days.
Rossford officials said the district forwarded the case to the Ohio Department of Education for further investigation.
When contacted by The Blade last week, an ODE spokesman did not answer specific questions, and by email said the “Department of Education’s Office of Professional Conduct does not have any public information regarding this individual.”
First Published May 3, 2019, 12:00 p.m.
