The School City of East Chicago Board of Trustees voted July 30 to approve the district’s personnel report after an earlier attempt to approve the report with the removal of two line items failed. The final motion to approve the report as presented passed 4–1.
The vote on the approved motion was: Trustee Jesse Gomez — No; Trustee Smith — Yes; Trustee Rodriguez — Yes; Trustee Mercedes Taylor — Yes; Madam President Gibson King — Yes.
The personnel report and public comment period focused attention on staff treatment and benefits. Tom Phelps, a teacher at East Chicago Central, told the board he is retiring after a 40‑year career and described problems he said he encountered with benefit coverage and workplace injury claims. “I am resigning. I am retiring because I can no longer work under these conditions,” Phelps said. He told the board he filled out an employment I‑9 and said benefits information provided to staff was inconsistent: “I was told I had medical and dental and vision. I had dental work the other day. I didn't have it done until after I was preapproved,” he said.
Phelps also said a fall in a district building damaged his prosthetic leg and that repairs costing more than $6,000 came out of his own pocket; he said his conversations with the district’s workers’ compensation representative left him dissatisfied. “I sustained a damage to my prosthetic leg over $6,000, which has all come out of my pocket,” he said.
Board members and the superintendent addressed the remarks during and after public comment. Superintendent Dr. Burney thanked community members for speaking and said the district would follow up with human resources on personnel questions: “I’m sure there's some follow‑up actions we will work with our human resources office,” Dr. Burney said.
The July 30 agenda included the personnel report as new business; after public comment the board considered two competing motions. One motion — to approve the personnel report with the removal of line items 5 and 39 — was proposed but was not approved. The subsequent motion to approve the personnel report as presented on the agenda carried 4–1.
Trustees did not discuss in public detail the contents of the two contested line items during the meeting; the board indicated that personnel follow‑up will proceed through staff and human resources rather than additional public deliberation at the special session.
Members of the public who spoke also urged district leaders to meet privately with the employee who raised the claims; the superintendent invited the speaker to remain to speak with the district attorney and staff after the meeting ended.