BUTLER COUNTY, Ohio — In a letter to the Lakota Board of Education, Superintendent Matt Miller provided more details on why he is resigning from his position.
Miller, who had previously been the focus of an investigation due to allegations that were unfounded, announced his resignation in an email to parents on Wednesday. He told parents he had a "new and very unique opportunity" that he was pursuing. In his letter to the board, though, Miller said he had no choice but to leave due to "the increasingly hostile work environment caused by Ms. (Darbi) Boddy."
"Her crusade to force me to resign is direct retaliation for my efforts to protect Lakota students of all genders and races from her destructive efforts," Miller said in the letter obtained by WCPO 9 News. "While the rest of the Board does not share Ms. Boddy’s views, the fact remains that she has succeeded in her efforts and destroyed my career in the bargain."
Boddy joined the board in January 2022 after campaigning on allegations that the district taught critical race theory and opposing 'inappropriate sex education,' which Lakota officials have denied.
She was censured and asked to resign in April when she made a Facebook post criticizing the district for its sex education instructional program that linked to a pornographic site. Boddy later said the link was a typo.
Fellow board members said Boddy made an "absurd and false accusation" in her post, voting 4-1 to censure her, with only Boddy voting against it. After the meeting, Boddy called the meeting "a circus" and said she would not resign.
Boddy was also issued a trespassing notice by a school police officer for taking an unescorted visit to two Lakota schools.
Months later, Miller was investigated after a complaint was filed against him. The Butler County Sheriff's Office looked into the complaint and found "no probable cause to initiate criminal charges." The board also hired a national firm to investigate the non-criminal accusations. They found no evidence that Miller "engaged in any act that violated the law, district policy or his contract," board president Lynda O'Connor said.
While the rest of the board voted to accept the results of the investigation, Boddy proposed a resolution to have Miller placed on leave and for "the board to begin the process for his removal." It was not seconded by any other board members.
Throughout the investigation, Miller and his lawyer said he was the target of character assassination. In his letter to the board, Miller said Boddy has "outright lied" about him in public meetings, executive sessions and interactions with the public.
"The efforts to which she and others went to achieve my resignation have terrified me and my family," Miller said in the letter. "Multiple death threats were made against me as a result of her campaign, and I have good reason to believe that Ms. Boddy was behind an attempt by one of her cohorts to gain access inside my home."
Miller said he is "frustrated" that other members of the board did not protect him from Boddy's "harassment."
"Yet despite some members’ private and public expressions of support, no action was ultimately taken to protect me or my family," he said in the letter. "Perhaps the most unfortunate part is that because Ms. Boddy has been permitted to succeed, the students, parents and staff of Lakota are likely to be impacted by her and her supporters’ troubling agenda for months and years to come."
WCPO partner Journal-News reported Wednesday that Miller was hired as the Butler County Educational Service's coordinator of innovative education. In his letter, Miller said the job will not only "remove me from this nightmare," but "given the damage done to my reputation, I cannot afford to pass it up."
Hired in 2017, Miller garnered attention for the district's digital innovation under his leadership. He won the Communication Technology Award for Superintendents in 2019 and, in December 2020, received a five-year extension of his contract.
After Miller announced his resignation, O'Connor said in a statement, "The Board thanks Mr. Miller for his six years of service and the innovation he’s brought to the district during his tenure."
Read the entire letter below.
Lakota superintendent's... by WCPO 9 News
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