Parents, teachers and community leaders asked the Chicago Board of Education on Aug. 28 to put Inter American Magnet School Principal Juan Carlos Saez on administrative leave and to release results of a year‑long legal investigation they say has not been shared with the school community.
Speakers described incidents they said included retaliation, dismissal of a parent employee after she publicly criticized leadership, repeated staff turnover, alleged mishandling of safety incidents and what they called a toxic working environment. Dr. Carolina Barrera Tovon, a professor of bilingual education whose children attend Inter American, said the school has lost more than 15% of its student population and cited specific personnel and safety concerns.
Multiple parents said the district’s law department has completed an investigation but had not informed the school community of findings or next steps. “I demand that CPS inform the community of Inter American what’s going on,” parent Jennifer Torres said, adding that remediation efforts by the network did not resolve the problems.
Speakers asked for three actions: place the principal on leave pending the completion of the district’s investigation; appoint an interim principal; and make the investigation’s conclusions public to the school community.
Board members did not record a formal action on the principal during the meeting; the item was raised in public participation and added to the board’s record for follow‑up. The legal department and network leaders were present during public participation and were expected to address complaints outside the meeting.
Why it matters: The complaints raise personnel, safety and due‑process questions for a school that parents and staff describe as a long-standing, dual‑language program serving a diverse population. Community leaders requested public accountability and an expedited resolution.