The following message was emailed to all enrolled families, students and staff via IC Messenger on 9/1/23 at 1:42PM.
September 1, 2023
Dear Hilltopper Community,
Chardon Local Schools values King Kone and the sense of nostalgia and community it brings to events.
The issue regarding King Kone serving as a vendor at Chardon Schools athletic games centers around a 2022 complaint to the Ohio Department of Education’s (ODE) Office of Professional Conduct (OPC) about the appearance of impropriety based on King Kone owner Gail Hewitt being married to Chardon Schools’ teacher and varsity football coach, Mitch Hewitt.
The ODE’s Licensure Code, which governs the actions of licensed professionals, sets a high bar. We must take complaints seriously as there is the potential for OPC consequences against an educator any time the OPC determines there is a violation of the code. As a result, we must protect the interests of our staff.
Chardon Schools and King Kone owner Gail Hewitt are in productive discussions regarding options for King Kone sales to continue in the school district for events other than school-sponsored activities.
We support and are grateful for our local business partnerships.
Sincerely,
Michael P. Hanlon, Jr., Ph.D.
Superintendent