Northwestern is also Orr’s alma mater.
READ: Ex-Hamilton Schools leader accused of sexual harassment, more
Orr resigned April 12 from Hamilton City as part of a separation agreement negotiated with the board. However, this news organization uncovered a letter sent to the school board by an attorney representing two employees that allege misconduct by Orr.
In the letter, attorney John Concannon said the total of seven allegations were “regarding serious unprofessional conduct by the district’s Superintendent Tony Orr.”
The allegations listed in the letter are:
- Quid pro quo sexual harassment of female employees
- Hostile environment sexual harassment of employees
- Ethnically hostile and abusive behavior on at least one occasion witnessed by several employees
- Ordering subordinates to delete district e-mail records
- Discriminating against special education students
- Attempting to unprofessionally and dishonestly influence the last board election
- Ordering bad faith evaluations of employees for personal reasons
MORE: Orr to leave Northwestern for Hamilton
At the time of his departure at Northwestern, Orr didn’t come to work starting in late May 2015 until his contract ended in July. No public allegations of misconduct were made against Orr at the time, and he told the Springfield News-Sun previously that he and the board came to a transition agreement.
“The Northwestern Board of Education and I agreed to a transition agreement that allowed me to begin the process to work for Hamilton City Schools while Northwestern began its search for its superintendent,” Orr said in an email at the time.
Orr declined to comment to this news organization about the recent allegations at Hamilton.
The Springfield News-Sun has contacted current Northwestern superintendent Jesse Steiner, school board president Andy Gundolf, teachers association president Denise Hermetz and Russ Steele, the only current board member who was serving during Orr’s tenure at Northwestern, for comment.
READ: Northwestern spent thousands on superintendent investigation
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