Jay Bishop Resigns from West Geauga Schools
West Geauga Schools Board of Education will be looking for a new director of operations and capital improvements after the Sept. 12 school board meeting.
*** This article has been updated to clarify information provided by a law enforcement source and to include a statement from Jay Bishop ***
West Geauga Schools Board of Education will be looking for a new director of operations and capital improvements after the Sept. 12 school board meeting.
School board members passed a resolution accepting the resignation of Jay Bishop and adopted a related separation agreement and release.
According to the resolution, Bishop submitted a letter to the board indicating his intent to resign from his position with the district effective immediately due to personal reasons. A representative acting on behalf of Bishop negotiated the separation agreement and release with board representatives and Bishop accepted the terms.
A law enforcement source familiar with the situation said Bishop and Middle School Principal Ron Dahlhofer allegedly were involved in a side business that created a potential conflict of interest with West Geauga Schools.
Dahlhofer was put on paid administrative leave in July for a pending investigation into possible misconduct.
The Geauga County Maple Leaf reached out to Bishop for comment about his resignation and he provided the following statement:
“I have tendered my resignation after informing the West Geauga school district of my ownership in VapeEducate, an entity that focuses on educating youth about the dangers of vaping, an epidemic in our schools.
“The company was founded in 2018, and since that time, it has served districts and communities throughout the nation, outside of the West Geauga School District. Late in the 2021-2022 school year, I learned that the West Geauga High School principals were commencing utilization of the VapeEducate curriculum for students and families. Based on that information, I immediately informed the West Geauga school district about my ownership interests in VapeEducate.
“I have since decided to resign from my administrator position to avoid either any further appearance of a conflict of interest or a conflict of interest should West Geauga School District or its students decide to utilize VapeEducate as a curriculum and resource to tackle students’ usage of vaping materials. I am grateful to have served the students and families of the West Geauga School District for the last two decades, and I am thankful to all of those who have aided in my growth within the district.”
VapeEducate is a Solon-based company formed to help families, communities and schools know the dangers associated with vaping. According to the Ohio secretary of state’s website, the trade name was registered with the Ohio secretary of state in January 2019.
In his email, Bishop explained that throughout the operation of his business, he never intended to sell the product to West Geauga Schools or its students, and did not profit from West Geauga or its students.
The Maple Leaf approached Markwardt for comment on the matter and he elected to decline.
Bishop began his career in the district at the high school in 1995 as a teacher of technology education, where he instructed courses in architecture, computer drafting, engineering and electricity.
After serving four years as the assistant principal, Bishop took over as principal in 2013 after David Toth left the district to become superintendent of Crestwood Schools in Mantua.
Back in June of 2021, the board approved administrative changes for the hiring of new high school Principal Ryan Patti, shifting Bishop to the new position of director of operations and capital improvements at an annual salary of $114,522.
A public records request has been made for the separation agreement. This article will be updated as more details become available.
