Canton City Schools Parting Ways With Superintendent
(WHBC) – The Canton City School District Board of Education has decided to move on from Superintendent Adrian Allison, who got into an altercation with a student in November.
At a special meeting on Saturday afternoon, the board went into a closed executive session for three hours.
When they returned from executive session, the board voted unanimously to authorize the board president to enter into a transition agreement with Allison, leading to his departure from the district, per the agreement, retroactive to January 4th 2019.
In November, Allison confronted some students for being disrespectful at a McKinley football game.
According to emails exchanged between the superintendent and the school board, Allison said he called a student “a disrespectful little boy or however he identified.”
Students who witnessed the confrontation said Allison said “or whatever you are.”
Board members wouldn’t say whether the incident with the student was the sole reason for their decision to part ways with Allison.
“People aren’t always going to agree with us, but when I make a decision I do my homework,” said Board President J.R. Rinaldi.
Former school board president Lisa Gissendaner gave Rinaldi and Board Vice President Eric Resnick a piece of her mind.
“What you just did is wrong, this district needs Adrian in place. This is personal and you know it.”
Rinaldi says the decision is in the best interest of the students of the district.
Gissendaner disagrees, saying Allison has done a lot for the school district.
“It’s all about the kids, I don’t think so,” she said.
WHBC has placed a call to Allison seeking comment.