1,650 signatures
School President
- 2,079 supporters taking action on this topic.
- 3 petitions started in this community.
Start a petition
Explore 3 petitions in School President
Topics related to School President
Stories and updates from petition starters
10 supporters are talking about petitions related to School President!
I graduated from CCMS in 2023. The devoted staff at this school is the reason I didn’t drop out. When I was at my lowest, Mr. Day, Mr. Kindoll, and Mrs. Lee helped me through it. JV, Dutko, and Combs profoundly grew my knowledge and drive during my 15 months at this school. However, throughout that time, the school was nothing like I expected. There was constant miscommunication among the staff, broken promises, and construction delays that seemed never-ending—the place was a mess. But the worst part for me was the traumatic way we were informed of Mr. Day's passing. Lectner is horrible at running the school. He only cares about his bottom line and has no regard for his students or staff. There was a reason he was fired from Arlington, and it’s clear why. I hope our beloved school can be restored because, at this point, I’m ashamed I attended CCMS instead of Pens
Elizabeth supported: Save Cincinnati College of Mortuary ScienceI graduated from CCMS, and during my time there I personally experienced a disturbing lack of professionalism from certain staff members, some of whom still work there in a managerial capacity and one who still serves on the board. I intimately know one of the former faculty members who left because of a deeply flawed management heirarchy as well as day to day standard operating procedures unbecoming of a higher learning institution. I can say that during my time as a student, professors Lee, Vinnedge, and Dutko were shining beacons of empathy and professionalism that allowed me to feel proud of my education in spite of other factors. The thought that these faculty members would be thrown out while other certain staff members are still employed there, is frankly disturbing and hard to believe. For what it is worth, I stand by these educators.
Jordan supported: Save Cincinnati College of Mortuary ScienceAs someone who transferred to this school, it is taking staff over 3 weeks, and counting, to get a schedule made. While being off campus for the past week, the school has failed to notify through email, phone calls, populi, etc. of the recent changes in staffing and structure. There has been no update of the professors being fired, thusly the institution has no professors for currently enrolled classes. Ive no information as to why no one at the front desk can answer my calls/ transfer me to my professors. Nor why I can no longer get ahold of the sorority staff, my lab instructor, Gay/Straight Alliance staff, nor professors that majored in the science field.
Instead our guest speakers are viewing inappropriate conduct from the president, tours are being held during private cremation services, students are creating the schedules, and other unspeakably disrespectful and distasteful actions.
Such recent events that led to Mid-America’s academic probation will be perfectly duplicated to give highlight to Jessica Mitford’s perspective of the industry. One could credit to even giving plenty of evidence for a sequel, with this educational epitome of “take the money, and run them into the ground”.
Less than impressive leadership, financial mismanagement, and an unwillingness to uphold basic standards of ethics, give this school an “unnattendable/ avoid” rating.
Please help bring recent events to the ABFSE’s attention so we may receive the quality education we were promised, and paid egregiously for.
Lauren supported: Save Cincinnati College of Mortuary ScienceI am a graduate from 1982. Recently I had a death in my family and Mr. Lechner and Dr. Webster both attended the visitation and funeral. I was shocked and offended that Mr. Lechner went out of his way to find me during the visitation to solicit a donation to the college through my estate planning. I was offended and I truly questioned his taste and common sense as a person who should know about how to deal with people going through grief. I wondered how he could be modeling and advocating funeral science. In regards to Dr. Webster, he does his best to come across as a nice guy-but if you look closely he is always putting himself first. I have asked him to give my family space since this passing and he continues to disregard my wishes. I believe both men should move on from CCMS.
Edwin supported: Save Cincinnati College of Mortuary ScienceCCMS was going under drastic change while I was attending but despite the administrative chaos I got a great education while under tutelage of John Vinnedge, Theresa Dutko, and Wanda Lee. CCMS doesn’t need a massive crematory expansion to be a great mortuary school. It DOES need great teachers who care about the students and about the field of mortuary science. Morticians have an important job that affects countless people going through terrible loss. Let’s get better leadership for CCMS.
Matthew supported: Save Cincinnati College of Mortuary ScienceI loved my time that I spent at CCMS. I didn’t just learn to be a deathcare professional there, I also learned how to move through life in a way that I had not before, taking more care for details about people I have met along the way and learning the value of kindness in simple interactions day to day. From Wanda Lee; who was one of my professors at the School, I learned a rigorous code of personal ethics when it came to to caring for the deceased and those they left behind, in addition to the technical proficiency that we are required to cultivate and maintain in order to serve the communities that we inhabit. I learned From John Vinnedge; who was another one of my professors, all of the details and formulae required to be an effective embalmer, and troubleshooter, in addition to (again) the rigorous code of moral ethics required to undertake this profession. Lastly, I learned from Theresa Dutko the value of reflection on humanity and the common struggles that we face and how that common experience of suffering can be harnessed to bring us closer together and transform a tragedy into an experience that leaves us reflecting on the beauty of life and its brevity instead of perhaps bemoaning death's inevitability.
With this said I was disheartened to learn of the loss of these fine educators and people from CCMS. In my opinion, this loss is due to a lack of strong leadership. Strength doesn’t mean just “force” or “power”. Any Leader that sacrifices their subordinates to recover losses incurred mismanaging an institution has fundamentally failed as both a leader and an educator, for the simple reason of endangering an institution that students depend upon for their professional certification. The integrity of this institution has been compromised by poor leadership. Someone that I believe a few of us have heard of, named Dwight D. Eisenhower once said “ The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office.” With this I implore others who read this to challenge poor leadership and retire integrity to whatever systems they care to preserve.
Matthew supported: Save Cincinnati College of Mortuary ScienceThis is absolutely sad news. I had nothing but a great experience at CCMS. John Vinnedge proved to me personally his care and concern for me as a student. I hope they fix this situation and restore CCMS to what I remember.
Sheldon supported: Save Cincinnati College of Mortuary ScienceI was a student in 2021. I realized fairly quickly that the administration at CCMS had no backbone when I came to them in confidence about being verbally abused by the staff of a funeral home. Said funeral home was on their housing recommendation board and nothing had ever been done, to the extent that they are still on the recommended housing list to my knowledge. I was told that the abuse I was facing was the funeral directors “personality” and if I needed a place to live as a low income student, I needed to “suck it up”. I had our instructors care more about my well being than the people who put me in that position.
I was also never paid by Lechner for my brief time doing removals for the school, after requesting multiple times. This money was supposed to help me get out of my situation in Cincinnati and contribute to my savings for gas money - by the beginning of S4 I had to drive from Columbus to Cincinnati multiple times a week.
Brianna supported: Save Cincinnati College of Mortuary ScienceI graduated here under the “guide” of the two in question, and I’m glad to be signing this. When in the college, I experienced a disconnect with the individuals myself. When I heard that two of the most influential and important people of this school, two of the people who believed in the students the most, I was stunned. More than them have lost opportunities because of the leadership at this school. Other members of staff, students, and the public have lost opportunities in the advancement of death care because of this.
Alexis supported: Save Cincinnati College of Mortuary ScienceSo sad to hear conditions have only gotten worse since my graduation in '23. The construction of the ECC was not only inconvenient to having available parking, wating area, and bathrooms it majorly impacted our clinical lab experience. Not to mention Jack Lechner has displayed abhorrent and tasteless behavior in regards to prior faculty passing away and has not once demonstrated care of compassion or reverence for the dead as we were taught by the two faculty members he so carelessly terminated.
Kimberly supported: Save Cincinnati College of Mortuary ScienceYou’re not alone — a community of supporters is ready to back you.
Start a petition