The Akron school board is asking local, state and federal authorities to investigate a former Akron Public Schools official who resigned amid allegations of flipping district property for a profit.
Former APS Facilities Director Steve Keenan resigned Sept. 17 while facing termination for allegations that he negotiated the trade-in of 11 district lawn mowers without board approval, then personally bought seven of the mowers and resold at least five on Facebook Marketplace for more than double their trade-in value.
The school board unanimously accepted Keenan’s resignation on Sept. 22 and repealed its resolution to begin termination proceedings against him.
At the insistence of board member Barbara Sykes, the board amended its resolution to include language directing the treasurer to refer the district’s investigation of Keenan to the Akron police chief and prosecutor, the state auditor, the Ohio Ethics Commission and the Internal Revenue Service for further investigation.
“We have a responsibility to the citizens here, to the taxpayers, to ensure they know that we are doing everything we can to protect their money,” Sykes said.
A two-month investigation by a school district-hired attorney found that Keenan, who resigned on Sept. 15 while facing termination, and at least one other Akron Public Schools employee significantly profited from the traded-in lawn equipment.
Keenen has denied allegations of any wrongdoing and instead accused district leaders of retaliating against him for filing complaints against the former superintendent and with the Ohio Civil Rights Commission.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron school board seeks state, federal probe into alleged mower-flipping scheme
Reporting by Kelli Weir, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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