Report: ODOT acted improperly in testing

COLUMBUS (AP) — The state Highway Department refused to promote an employee even after he twice tested far above other candidates, with administrators going so far as to claim he may have cheated, a report released Tuesday found.

The Ohio Department of Transportation then improperly shielded public records from other employees involved in the application process, according to the report by the state Inspector General.

The report alleges wrongdoing against Don Barber, former director of the agency’s Jacksontown office covering parts of eastern Ohio, and his administrative assistant, Debra Slack.

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