Cleveland School Board Votes 5-2 To Terminate School Director Ringstaff Over Twitter Messages

  • Friday, February 5, 2016
  • Claire Henley Miller

The Cleveland School Board on Friday fired Dr. Martin Ringstaff, director of schools, for sending sexually explicit messages to an anonymous woman a year ago. 

His termination is effective immediately and does not include severance pay. 

The school board called an emergency meeting after Dr. Ringstaff, who is married, admitted to sending explicit messages to another woman.

Though Dr. Ringstaff sent the messages a year ago, the recent creation of two Twitter accounts impersonating the director of schools exposed them to the public. 

On Monday Cleveland police started an investigation of the fake and scandalous accounts that many students saw.

But their momentum froze when Dr. Ringstaff told police Monday night he was the one who sent the messages. 

According to Detective Daniel Gibbs, who filed the incident report, Dr. Ringstaff asked police to drop the investigation. “For the sake of his wife he wishes not to pursue with the criminal investigation at this time, because the messages were from him but sent a year ago,” the report stated. 

Dr. Ringstaff denied making the Twitter accounts, but his confession called for a special school board meeting.

He was not present at the administrative office on Mouse Creek Road as board members and Chuck Cagle, school board attorney, discussed proper protocol in light of the recent “revelations.”

Parents, school faculty, and the press packed into the board room. An ominous quiet fell over the room as Vice Chairperson Murl Dirksen said the board members faced the death of character.

The board discussed Dr. Ringstaff’s contract. If they terminated him, per his contract, he had the right to appeal, attorney Cagle said. But if Dr. Ringstaff resigned, then he lost that right.

The attorney stated that on Thursday afternoon each of the seven board members received a letter from Dr. Ringstaff’s attorney. The letter outlined Dr. Ringstaff’s conditions if he were to resign.  

Board member Charlie Cogdill said there were “quite a few demands” in the letter. One included for Dr. Ringstaff to receive 18 months compensation upon his resignation. 

Regarding these demands, Chairperson Dawn Robinson said she cared deeply for Dr. Ringstaff and his family. But her “tipping point” came when she discovered he had not been truthful, yet still demanded pay as a requirement for resignation.  

Because the situation marred Dr. Ringstaff’s ability to be a good school leader, board member Tom Cloud said he could not support any monetary exchange for Dr. Ringstaff other than his accrued vacation, which amounted to 17.5 days. Mr. Cogdill and board member George Meacham agreed they did not endorse spending taxpayers’ dollars on Dr. Ringstaff’s severance package. 

“We were paying him while this was going on. I in no way want to pay him another dime,” board member Steve Morgan said in congruence. 

Ms. Robinson suggested firing Dr. Ringstaff, asking if power and ego turned him into someone he is not. 

Rather than firing him, Mr. Dirksen motioned for Dr. Ringstaff to vacate the office immediately and submit a letter of resignation by 5 p.m. on Friday. This motion allowed Dr. Ringstaff to receive pay for his 17.5 accrued vacation days, but nothing beyond that. 

If he did not resign by 5 p.m., he would be terminated automatically, the motion stated. 

To counter this, Mr. Morgan motioned to terminate Dr. Ringstaff immediately without compensation on the grounds of breech of contract, unbecoming conduct, and insubordination. He stressed he did not want Dr. Ringstaff to receive a dime, not even vacation pay, especially since he entered into a new contract one week ago under false conduct.

He stated the school system paid for Dr. Ringstaff’s computer, phone, and ipad – which the director of schools allegedly used to send the sexual messages.

Mr. Dirksen’s main reasoning for letting Dr. Ringstaff resign was to not “drag things out,” because if he resigned he lost his right to appeal. 

“I’m only concerned with the appeals process,” Mr. Dirksen said.

Nevertheless, the board voted 5-2 to terminate Dr. Ringstaff, with Mr. Dirksen and Peggy Pesterfield opposed.

Ms. Pesterfield, who read a statement at the beginning of the meeting supporting Dr. Ringstaff’s resignation, said she was concerned for his family. In her statement she said she would miss his enthusiasm, forward thinking, and love of education.  

“But a business has to go on,” Ms. Robinson said after the vote to fire Dr. Ringstaff passed. 

She scheduled a special board meeting for next Monday at 7:30 a.m. to decide on an interim director of schools.  

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