Ohio group seeks grand jury probe of ex-charter school head

COLUMBUS (AP) — A liberal policy group called today for a grand jury probe into a former Ohio education official who resigned this summer after acknowledging he omitted failing grades from certain charter-school sponsor evaluations.

Six months have passed without a full-scale investigation of former School Choice Director David Hansen, ProgressOhio Executive Director Sandy Theis wrote. Hansen led the charter school oversight office at the Ohio Department of Education.

Theis notes in the three-page letter to Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien that his office investigated and successfully prosecuted several high-ranking employees of the Columbus City Schools who participated in a data manipulation scam with similarities.

“Columbus employees falsified student records to improve their schools’ standing on state report cards,” she wrote. “An ODE official falsified state ratings to improve the standing of traditionally low-performing charter schools. In both instances, top-ranking officials were responsible for scandals that wasted tax dollars and hurt children.”

Messages seeking comment were left with O’Brien and Hansen.