Marshall Has a Point Part 2

When Massillon Schools Superintendent Lisa Carmichael was hired at the end of 2008, she convinced the Massillon Board of Education to hire attorney Richard Horning as the district's chief legal counsel. Horning, who worked with Carmichael at her prior job, when she was Superintendent of the Edison Local school district, was someone Carmichael was "comfortable with" (The Independent, October 2, 2010).

Richard Horning is not a local attorney. Horning works primarily in Wyoming, about 1,330 miles from Massillon. One would think Superintendent Carmichael might have been able to find competent legal counsel a bit closer to home, perhaps someone on the Eastern side of the Mississippi river.

Three members of the school board, Gary Miller, Phillip Elum, and Marshall Weinberg have been discussing obtaining legal counsel a bit closer to home. Perhaps even someone who actually resides in Ohio. Carmichael is not happy with the idea.

Word around town is that attorney Horning is Lisa Carmichael's personal legal caddy. His loyalties are to her first, and not to the board of education who hires him, and pays his bills. While we don't always agree with board member Weinberg, he is certainly within his right, as an elected member of the board of education, to question this arrangement. And it is certainly within his right to propose hiring legal counsel within the same time zone as Massillon.

When Marshall Weinberg proposed hiring local law firm Krugliak, Wilkins, Griffiths and Dougherty, a law firm actually located in Stark County, Carmichael objected. Did she object to their legal expertise? No. She claimed that it was a "conflict of interest for Weinberg to propose hiring a second legal firm, Krugliak, Wilkins, Griffiths and Dougherty, because one of its employees contributed to Weinberg's campaign" (The Independent, October 2, 2010).

Really? You and your out of state legal caddy should know that your accusation of a "conflict of interest" is absolute bull****. After consulting with the crack Massillon Review legal team, Marshall Weinberg did absolutely nothing wrong. Nothing. And it is no conflict of interest. He received a campaign donation from a lawyer two years ago.

Using the Lisa Carmichael thresh hold for conflict of interest, we pose this;

The Massillon School District has a renewal levy on the ballot next month. According to Lisa Carmichael, no teacher, no teachers' union, no teachers' union political action committee better be providing campaign contributions for the levy, as that would be a "conflict of interest." No school vendor, no one who has ever done business with the school system, should be making any campaign contribution for your levy, as that would be a "conflict of interest."

It appears that Carmichael doesn't want to lose her personal legal caddy, her personal legal crutch. She was opposed to hiring the law firm of Squires, Sanders & Dempsey. She didn't give a reason. She was opposed to hiring the Krugliak firm, with a made up reason. She couldn't provide a reasoned objection. She made stuff up. She made a false, spurious accusation of a school board member. Even Marshall Weinberg doesn't deserve this.

The Massillon Review has supported Lisa Carmichael in the past, but we are saddened and disappointed that a school superintendent, someone who should adhere to a higher standard, someone who should know better, resorted to a false accusation to try and get her own way.

Lisa, your attorney is in Wyoming. We can do better.