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Youngstown schools recognizes hero dad who 'selflessly assisted' teacher
YOUNGSTOWN
The Youngstown Board of Education on Tuesday recognized Phillip Tharpe for intervening during the robbery at gunpoint of a Taft Elementary teacher.
“Many times, we have people in our community who choose to do nothing, and other people choose to do something — even when it can risk their own lives,” said Brenda Kimble, board president. “Mr. Tharpe is deserving of recognition.”
Tharpe recalled the Nov. 1, 2016, morning when running late happened to be for the best.
“Every day I take my son and drop him off at the bus stop and wait until he gets on the bus,” he said. “That particular day we were a little bit late and I was fussing and hollering at [my son] because he was the reason why we were late. The young lady we saw, who we see everyday ... I see her throw her stuff down on the ground and a man standing over her. So, I punched my gas in the car and pulled up on the guy.”
Tharpe continued that when the robber saw the car, the robber started shooting at him and his son, and then proceeded to run off. The case is still open with Youngstown police.
Esther Tharpe, Phillip Tharpe’s wife, said the family was just glad the teacher was safe.
“It just goes to show you there are still good people in the world,” she said about her husband.
School district CEO Krish Mohip read the award’s words about how Tharpe “selflessly assisted” the Taft teacher and went “above and beyond the call of duty.”
“We just want to show how exceptionally proud we are of you for what we’ve done for our people,” Kimble said.
The board stood in unison to shake Tharpe’s hand.
After Tharpe’s recognition, the following members were appointed to various positions: Kimble, National School Boards Association delegate; Jackie Adair, Ohio School Boards Association delegate; Jerome Williams, the Youngstown Tax Incentive Review Council representative; and Michael Murphy, Youngstown City legislative liaison.
Board member Dario Hunter was a no-vote on all of the appointments.
“Where are these resolutions to appoint coming from?” he asked. “What are their qualifications? Why are the qualifications not apparent?”
Kimble responded that the elected board members are deciding on the resolutions and there is no criteria to becoming a board member, besides being 18 years old and living in the city of Youngstown.
Hunter said Kimble was not answering his question.
“If the goal is to simply have someone sit in that space and keep it warm that’s fine, but if they are going to do something substantive ... there should be some consideration as to how they’re suited best for these positions,” Hunter said.
Board members Adair and Corinne Sanderson joined Hunter in a no-vote appointing Murphy as legislative liaison.
Adair reasoned Murphy’s employment with the city water department was a conflict.
In other news, Kimble announced she was rescheduling an item on the agenda for a board member from Hamilton Local School District to visit the Youngstown board to speak about academic distress.
The member was unable to attend the Tuesday evening meeting, but Kimble said she thought it was important to hear from Hamilton.
“Hamilton School District turned themselves around right before it received an academic distress commission,” Kimble said. “I went to their breakout session at a capital conference in November and I was very impressed by what they had to say. I want the community to know there is hope and [Hamilton] was able to be turned around, so, [Youngstown] should be able to move forward, as well.”
She added that having a Hamilton representative come speak is not to impress any opinions or ideas on anyone in specific.
“It never hurts us to listen to someone that might be able to give us an idea to help us,” Kimble said.