Seasoned official Culp is terminated from local agency

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A longtime official from a troubled Toledo anti-poverty agency has been fired, the latest turmoil in a series of financial and personnel problems to plague the organization.

Bernard Pete Culp has been terminated from his position as a planner and grant writer at the Economic Opportunity Planning Association of Greater Toledo, Inc.

The agency administers Head Start and a number of other programs aimed at helping low-income families.

Last week, the agency underwent a federal review when the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services looked into fiscal and governance issues there. The results of the evaluation are not yet available, according to a department spokesman.

In the most recent performance review, dated December, 2006, and contained in Mr. Culp s personnel file, he was rated as very good or excellent in most categories and good in others.

The review commends him for timely submission of grants and reports, working well with minimal supervision, and his excellent attendance record.

Mr. Culp s termination letter alleges that he:

Extended an intern s period of employment without proper authority; wHas too many commitments outside the agency, such as serving on the boards of the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority, Lucas County Metropolitan Housing Authority, and Toledo Plan Commission;

Has not attended the agency s board meetings.

Mr. Culp declined to comment yesterday.

James Powell, interim executive director of the Economic Opportunity Planning Association, did not return a call for comment.

A note from Mr. Culp in his personnel file, which was obtained by The Blade, contested his termination and requested a hearing to appeal and discuss the matter. His note said he did not know he was required to attend all board meetings, and was not told he was required to use comp time or leave time to attend other meetings. It also noted that he said he thought I was able to give a positive light to the agency, by attending.

According to documents in his personnel file at the agency, he was hired in 1993 at a salary of $26,074 annually. He was promoted in 2001, given a merit raise in 2002, and was earning $50,277. His current salary was $59,635 annually.

In July, he was suspended for four days without pay. According to a letter from Mr. Powell about the suspension, Mr. Culp told Mr. Powell he was going to a plan commission meeting, but in fact attended a meeting with Lucas County Commissioner Pete Gerken to discuss EOPA issues. Mr. Culp disputed his suspension then and said it was unjustified.

Earlier this month, The Blade reported the association owes about $585,000 to the Ohio Department of Education. The debt stems from a grant the agency applied for, but did not receive, several years ago.

The association s longtime executive director, Oscar B. Griffith, died last November after leading the agency since 1976. The board has yet to appoint a new director and has been beset in the last year by struggles over leadership. Five board members recently resigned, with two of them strongly expressing frustration with the board and management. Additionally, a sixth board member, Ruth Ashford, the board s second vice president, resigned this month. She could not be reached for comment yesterday.

According to a report submitted to the Ohio Department of Development in June, the association and the programs it administers have been overwhelmed with problems from employee absenteeism, questionable mileage reports, an alleged hostile work environment for some employees, and problems with the number of children enrolled in Head Start.

The bulk of the agency s budget comes from the about $12 million in federal funding for Head Start, an educational program for preschool children from low-income families. More than 2,000 children are enrolled in it in Lucas County.

The report was submitted to the Department of Development from the association board s labor management team, a group formed in the wake of Mr. Griffith s death to try to correct problems at the agency. The head of that team was one of the board members who later resigned.

Several people familiar with the agency were shocked to hear Mr. Culp, a well-connected, high-profile community figure, was let go. In addition to sitting on a number of area boards, he was one of three city employees at the center of a controversial case 20 years ago that some say divided the community along racial lines.

He was fired for mismanagement in 1988 from his job as Toledo s commissioner of renewal operations. To demonstrate against the city s handling of the firings, 13 protesters 11 black ministers, a white minister, and the head of the local NAACP chapter occupied seats reserved for City Council members at a council meeting and were arrested.

Mr. Culp fought the charges in court and won damages and back pay from the city, and was allowed to retire with a full pension in 1991.

His brother is the Rev. Robert Culp, pastor at First Church of God on Collingwood Boulevard.

Contact Kate Giammarise at:kgiammarise@theblade.comor 419-724-6133.