Centerville guidance counselor agrees to resign following probe

CENTERVILLE — A staff member in the Centerville Community School District has reached an agreement to resign following an internal investigation and review by the district.

The Centerville School Board accepted the resignation agreement of Ryan Hodges, a counselor and head baseball coach at Centerville High School, on Friday. The district will formally vote to accept his resignation at their next regular meeting on Feb. 13.

The resignation agreement obtained by the Courier states Hodges “shall continue on paid administrative leave until Board action to accept the resignation...” In return for Hodges’ resignation and fulfilling the terms of the agreement, he will receive 15 days pay. Hodges has been on paid administrative leave since at least Dec. 1.

Superintendent Mark Taylor has declined to fulfill the Courier's request for the reasons and rationale for Hodges' resignation, or for copies of the district's investigative reports. If a resignation is in lieu of termination the district is required by law to provide those, but Taylor said Hodges' resignation was voluntary.

The Courier is still seeking to obtain documents related to the investigation and resignation.

Hodges was one of two staff members placed on paid administrative leave in November. A statement released by the district at the time said one staff member was placed on administrative leave due to allegations of inappropriate behavior with a minor, while a second staff member was placed on administrative leave based on allegations made against them that were “of a personal nature involving an adult who does not work for the district” that were not school-related but occurred on district time.

At the time, district officials did not name either of the individuals involved but confirmed Hodges and Matthew Kruzich had both been placed on paid administrative leave. They still have not said which allegation applied to which employee.

On Feb. 1, Taylor wrote via email that Hodges was “still pending investigation and review” by the district, and that there was “nothing new to report regarding that matter.” He also confirmed Kruzich has returned to work.