Toledo council weighs removing Monsignor Schmidt Way amid survivor letters and mixed board ruling

The Toledo City Council on July 7 considered a Board of Honors recommendation to remove the honorary designation "Monsignor Schmidt Way" from St. Clair Street after the board voted in favor of removal.

President Williams said he and Barbara Floyd had voted against removal at the Board of Honors because they believed Monsignor Schmidt had provided legal representation to Father Robinson and that the record did not clearly show other wrongdoing by Monsignor Schmidt. "I don't feel like my Monsignor Schmidt sign should be taken down," Williams said.

Other councilmembers and community correspondents urged removal, saying the sign's presence continues to cause pain to survivors. Councilman Comanis cited a letter from Sister Ann Marie Borges and preserved historic testimony from detectives and trial testimony, saying the record shows Monsignor Schmidt played a role in obstructing a murder investigation and that survivors remain harmed by the street sign's presence. Councilwoman McPherson, who attended an honor board hearing, said the board took time, gathered information and ultimately voted to remove the name: "I support the removal," she said, citing the harm alleged by survivors and family members.

Council members discussed procedural fairness, whether sufficient time had been provided for testimony, and the evidentiary basis the Board of Honors used to reach its decision. Some members noted competing community perspectives — including letters from the Catholic community praising Monsignor Schmidt's positive contributions — and emphasized the difficulty of balancing those views.

The discussion at council recorded arguments both for and against removal and noted written correspondence from survivors and faith‑community leaders. No formal removal vote was recorded in the July 7 agenda‑review meeting transcript; council heard comments and recognized the Board of Honors' recommendation.