2 Youngstown school board members seek censure of one of its members

YOUNGSTOWN — Battles between members of the Youngstown Board of Education over whether Vice President Michael Murphy – recently charged with a misdemeanor related to his position with the Youngstown Water Department – should resign from his position dominated the board’s meeting tonight.

Murphy was one of 26 Youngstown Water Department employees found by the Ohio Attorney General’s office to have falsified credentials, which allowed them to collect higher salaries from the city.

Board member Jackie Adair was the first to broach the subject, using her allotted five minutes for discussion to call for Murphy to step down.

Krish Mohip, the CEO of Youngstown City Schools, and Brenda Kimble, school board president, questioned Adair’s decision to discuss Murphy’s situation during a board of education meeting.

“It’s not just about academics for a school board. We used to be responsible for the finances of this district,” Adair said. “It’s past time to stop turning a blind eye to corruption.”

After the discussion period, board member Dario Hunter introduced a motion to censure Murphy, which included a call for him to resign from the board.

The board voted to reject the motion to censure Murphy 2-5. Adair and Hunter voted yes on the measure. Murphy will remain in his position.

For the complete story, read Wednesday's Vindicator and Vindy.com