After years of addiction-related incidents, Otterman resigns
Ohio has been hard hit by the opioid crisis as it’s ripped across every town and demographic. So it’s not altogether surprising to see that even elected officials have not been immune to this widespread epidemic.
As reported in the Akron Beacon Journal, John Otterman, an elected official of the Akron school board, resigned this week after police found him overdosed in his car and needed to revive him.
Otterman, who overdosed last week and was administered four doses of an opiate overdose reversal drug, resigned Monday after a long documented history with illicit drugs.
Otterman submitted a letter of resignation to board, which members unanimously voted to accept during Monday’s regular board meeting.
“It has been an honor to serve the citizens of Akron on the School Board and the excellent staff and members that remain. This will allow the citizens of Akron and board members to appoint to [sic] a new member that will help facilitate positive growth for the children of the City of Akron,” Otterman wrote in the brief letter. “Also, this will allow myself to regain my physical health that has caused me to miss valuable time working with the other members.”
He has not attended a board meeting since Nov. 6.
Last Thursday, Akron police found Otterman, 57, unconscious in the driver’s seat of a car on East Cuyahoga Falls Avenue. Paramedics treated Otterman at the scene, administering four doses of naloxone, which reverses opiate overdoses, before transporting him to Akron City Hospital for further treatment.
In an incident report, police said they found a white substance that tested positive for fentanyl, an opioid used as a pain medication, in the car along with marijuana.
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To learn more about how a former school board official in Akron is struggling with addiction, please visit The Akron Beacon Journal.