A Pickerington school board member serving in two other leadership roles was momentarily cleared of wrongdoing, but questions persist from community members online about her alleged actions. Vanessa Niekamp was charged with tampering last month in her role as executive director of the Pickerington Food Pantry. Although Pickerington Police Chief Tod Cheney said the charges are not related to her other roles as Violet Township’s fiscal officer and a school board member, the overlap has drawn criticism on social media. Niekamp said she separates her work between roles and adheres to strict ethical guidelines.
