Youngstown school board continues Mohip-bashing, approves hotel abatement

YOUNGSTOWN

Youngstown Board of Education members continued to bash CEO Krish Mohip Tuesday evening, contending he lacks transparency.

Mohip was out of town and could not be reached to comment.

Board member Dario Hunter said after repeated attempts to get questions answered, Mohip has refused to answer them.

“I have seen someone who is for his own personal reasons and personal purposes and personal agendas is not interested in open communication,” he said. “Having open communication would open him up to a [public relations] image he doesn’t appreciate and doesn’t want.”

Board member Jacqueline Adair said after a request to Mohip for communication was left unanswered, she is leaving it up to him to “extend an olive branch” to her.

Hunter said he hopes Mohip changes his position on communication and shows the board “a different side than he has shown so far.”

Board President Brenda Kimble, who has remained quiet during the past few meetings when Mohip’s alleged lack of transparency has been discussed by Adair and Hunter with Mohip present, voiced her concern as well.

“When [Mohip] first came here he was pretty open and transparent and I don’t know what happened to have him give a speech that he was over the district and in total control,” she said. “Before that he was transparent. He was trying to work with this board. Maybe something happened between there the board doesn’t know about.”

During a previous meeting, Mohip cited rules in House Bill 70, also called the Youngstown Plan, which give him managerial, operational and instructional authority over the district.

In other news, the board approved a motion in a 3-2 vote for a 75 percent tax abatement for the DoubleTree Hotel project, underway at 44 E. Federal St., downtown.

Read more about the matters in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.