Timothy Patrick
Introduction
Timothy Patrick is a retired U.S. Marine Corps major who served as the commanding officer and senior marine instructor for the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps program at East Community Learning Center, a school within Akron Public Schools in Akron, Ohio. On Monday, September 14, 2026, the Akron Board of Education unanimously approved Resolution 26-148 stating its intention to consider terminating his contract, and he was suspended immediately without pay. The board accused Patrick of excessive and inappropriate physical contact of a student in an incident dated to May 14, 2026. The claim is a board allegation: Patrick has not been criminally charged, and the allegation has not been adjudicated in court.
Background Information
Patrick served in the United States Marine Corps from 1995 to 2018, according to Signal Akron, and retired as a major. He joined Akron Public Schools in August 2019, the Akron Beacon Journal reported, and held the titles of commanding officer and senior marine instructor for the Marine Corps JROTC program at East Community Learning Center.
Patrick was one of three district employees whose cases reached the board that evening. The others were Crystal Kouns, a teacher at Ellet Community Learning Center, and Elizabeth Sholar, a teacher at Forest Hill Community Learning Center; the Beacon Journal described the three as accused of wrongdoing in unrelated incidents. All three are members of the Akron Education Association, according to the union’s president, Pat Shipe.
The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation
Allegations. The claims in this section are allegations from the Akron Board of Education’s Resolution 26-148, which the board passed unanimously on September 14, 2026. They were never admitted by Patrick, never criminally charged, and never adjudicated in court.
According to the resolution, as reported by the Beacon Journal and Signal Akron, the incident occurred on May 14, 2026, while Patrick was speaking with two student cadets. One of the cadets said other students were not following her directions, and Patrick suggested that she “engage in a physical altercation” with them to enforce her authority, per the resolution, which noted the cadet held a higher rank than the other students. He then struck the other student cadet in the room, “causing him to turn red and cough,” per the resolution. Both cadets described it as a punch to the throat.
Signal Akron reported that Patrick acknowledged he “made physical contact with the student’s neck,” according to the resolution. The board’s resolution accused him of excessive and inappropriate physical contact of a student, in violation of board policy, administrative guidelines and the state licensure code of conduct for Ohio educators. Neither outlet reported any public statement from Patrick responding to the allegations, and nothing in the sources indicates he has done so.
Public Reaction and Consequences
The board acted after a nearly two-hour closed-door executive session on September 14, approving three separate resolutions stating its intention to consider terminating the contracts of the three employees, each of whom was suspended immediately without pay. The votes followed the May incident and accusations against the other two employees from unrelated matters during the 2025-26 school year.
Pat Shipe, president of the Akron Education Association, told Signal Akron the union would meet with its three members to review their options and take further action within the following 10 days. “Any employee of Akron Public Schools, whether in our bargaining unit or not, has the right to due process under disciplinary matters,” she said. “The three employees referenced in the resolutions the board passed last night are all members of AEA and now have 10 days to respond to the board how they wish to proceed.” The Beacon Journal reported that Shipe could not be reached for comment on September 14.
Current Status
Under state law, the board cannot formally terminate an employee’s contract until 10 days after the employee is notified of its intent to terminate. Within those 10 days, the employee has the right to appeal by requesting in writing a hearing before the school board or before a referee. As of the days immediately after the vote, it was unclear whether Patrick planned to appeal. Signal Akron also reported that it was unclear whether Patrick was placed on administrative leave after the May 14 incident, and unclear whether the incident was reported to Akron Police. He remained suspended without pay pending the outcome of the process.
Impact on Their Career/Life
The board’s action placed at risk the education career Patrick began in 2019 after roughly two decades in the Marine Corps. If the board proceeds after the notification period, a formal termination would end his employment with Akron Public Schools, and the resolution’s reference to the state licensure code of conduct for Ohio educators raises the possibility of professional consequences beyond the district, though no licensing action was reported in the sources. No criminal charge against Patrick has been reported, and the allegation against him remains unproven; the statutory right to a written appeal and a hearing before the board or a referee remained available to him, with his decision unannounced.