Public Affairs

Contact: Marc Kovac

press@ohioauditor.gov

Columbus – The Gallia County Grand Jury has returned an indictment against the former superintendent of the Gallia County Local School District following allegations that he used his position to gain employment contracts for his son and otherwise misused District resources, Auditor of State Keith Faber announced Monday.

Jude E. Meyers is facing 13 criminal counts of having an unlawful interest in a public contract, all fourth-degree felonies; one count of theft in office, a fifth-degree felony; and one count of conflict of interest, a first-degree misdemeanor.

Meyers was arraigned in Gallia County Common Pleas Court on Monday and pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The Auditor of State’s Special Investigations Unit investigated Meyers after receiving a complaint in January 2019. The indictment alleges that, between Feb. 1, 2015, and June 30, 2019, Meyers used his position as superintendent of Gallia County Local Schools to secure employment for his son, Marcus C. Meyers.  According to the indictment, Marcus Meyers received at least 13 separate contracts for work as a substitute employee or for supplemental coaching positions.

The indictment also alleges that Meyers used his position as a public official to commit theft from the school district. The State alleges that Meyers converted school equipment and other resources for his personal benefit, including a school district van and trailer to move furniture and other personal belongings between residences, school-owned lawn equipment to mow his lawn, and a school vehicle for personal uses when his own vehicle was being repaired.

Meyers served as superintendent of Gallia County Local Schools from 2014 through mid-2021, when he resigned to accept a position as superintendent of Shawnee Local Schools in Lima.

Since 2019, the Special Investigations Unit has assisted in 81 convictions resulting in more than $2.7 million in restitution (Map of SIU Convictions Since January 2019: https://ohioauditor.gov/fraud/convictions_map.html). The team receives hundreds of tips of suspected fraud annually. Tips can be submitted anonymously online or via SIU’s fraud hotline at 1-866-FRAUD-OH (1-866-372-8364).

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The Auditor of State’s office, one of five independently elected statewide offices in Ohio is responsible for auditing more than 6,000 state and local government agencies. Under the direction of Auditor Keith Faber, the office also provides financial services to local governments, investigates and prevents fraud in public agencies, and promotes transparency in government.