South-Western schools parents remain concerned about outside attorney's cost

Yahoo

3 days ago

GROVE CITY, Ohio (WCMH) — Parents who were concerned about the political affiliation of the advisory groups that the South Western City School Board joined last month revived concerns about another adviser to the board.
'Omar Tarazi is a very, very hot button issue,' district parent Kyra Paul said. 'He is known for being very politically charged and motivated in different ways. So by joining these organizations and by having that kind of legal counsel, I think it will 100% skew them (the board).'
Tarazi is an attorney who has billed the district $166,885 between January 2024 and March 31, 2025. Parents like Paul said they were concerned with the high price tag and the lack of transparency about his services. Parents also said they worry about the alleged increased time spent in executive session with Tarazi and his record in education. See previous coverage of the concerns in the video player above.
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Tarazi was first brought in by the district in January 2024. At $300 an hour, he quickly racked up payments over $20,000 per month for undisclosed services with the board.
'Engaging multiple perspectives has consistently benefited past and present school boards, providing a robust model for both checks and balances,' district spokesperson Evan Debo previously told NBC4 about hiring Tarazi.
In July 2024, the board of education contracted Tarazi at $9,000 per month to serve on retainer. According to his contract, he can also bill up to $300 an hour for 'nonroutine services.' His contract expired in December with the opportunity to renew it.
Debo said the board renewed the contract when it expired, which occurred outside of public meetings. He explained Tarazi's services are different than hiring an employee, so it did not have to be open to the public. He equated the situation to district snow shovelers, as both are procured as-needed but do not involve direct employment. Debo also addressed concerns about how much Tarazi is costing the district.
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'Since Tarazi Law has been assisting the district retroactive to 2024, the district has actually seen a savings of $191,373 in overall legal expenditures relative to the 2023 levels,' Debo said.
District legal invoices corroborate Debo's statement, although the data is only up-to-date through the end of March.
Legal invoices do not detail what the services are for. According to his contract, he is required to attend all board meetings, draft documents and provide legal help as requested. Parents said that since hiring Tarazi, the board appears to spend more time in executive session. They pointed to comments he made at a Big Walnut School Board meeting, alleging he is using attorney-client privilege to work outside the public eye.
'The amount of time spent in executive session since he has been hired has skyrocketed, and there is a direct correlation between the time in executive session and the lack of transparency and accountability with our board as he represents them,' parent Amanda Gooding said.
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However, Debo said the district is currently engaged in contract negotiations for more than 2,700 employees across three unions. He said longer executive sessions are part of the district adequately building union agreements that retain talent and provide quality education.
'All school boards across the state of Ohio use discretionary tools such as executive session time to consult with legal counsel and thoroughly review proposals in order to secure fair and competitive agreements that support both our staff and students,' Debo said. 'Legal representation for any district is both a negotiations standard and a necessary part of the process, with the specific reasons for the session identified on every board agenda and at every public meeting when enacted.'
Parents said aside from the money, they were concerned with Tarazi not having a background in education law and with his advocacy for charter schools. According to public records, he has testified twice at the Statehouse in favor of charter schools, and he, his wife and his parents have all been involved in charter schools, from volunteer positions to serving as principal.
'If you want to hire staff, teachers, administrators for whatever reason, and they've got to have the merit and they've got to be qualified,' Paul said. 'Why wouldn't you seek the same for your legal counsel?'
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Tarazi did not respond to a request for comment by publication, but he spoke with NBC4 previously about not having a background in education law.
'A district has every kind of legal issue that comes up,' Tarazi said. 'There's a lot of different aspects of law, and I have a lot of experience in the area the board wants me to help them with.'
Tarazi's contract will expire Dec. 31.
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