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Parent tells Sycamore board March 6 letter mischaracterized teacher’s record; asks for transparency
Summary
Dee Jackson told the board a March 6 letter signed by two board members omitted prior disciplinary action for a teacher known as Grace, saying sworn testimony in a June 12 deposition contradicts the letter; the board did not comment during public participation.
Dee Jackson, a Sycamore parent who signed up to speak during public participation, told the board she brought an open-meetings case related to a personnel matter and said "new information has come to light" that raised concerns about how the situation was communicated to the community. Jackson said a March 6 letter signed by Missus Bitter and Mister Harris stated that "Miss Grace ... had consistently received good performance evaluations, and she had no discipline prior to this incident," but that sworn testimony in a June 12 deposition — Superintendent Chad Lewis, according to Jackson — confirmed Miss Grace had faced prior disciplinary action that was later removed through the union grievance process.
Jackson asked whether the March 6 letter was intended as a gesture of support for colleagues or whether it left the community with an inaccurate picture, pointing out that no other board members had signed the letter. She said the discrepancy "means that when the letter was shared on March 6, the information provided was incomplete" and urged board members, particularly Mister Harris and Missus Bitter, to reflect on how to "restore the confidence in this board and in our community." The speaker closed by calling for reflection, accountability and transparency.
The board’s public-comment process was observed (board does not comment during public participation), and no response or formal action by the board on Jackson’s allegations appears in the transcript. The complaint Jackson referenced is part of an open-meetings matter she said she brought to the board; she cited a June 12 deposition in that context. The meeting record contains no rebuttal or follow-up from the two board members she named during the public-comment period.
Because Jackson referenced sworn testimony and specific documents (the March 6 letter and June 12 deposition), the board may wish to clarify next steps publicly if it intends to address the discrepancies Jackson raised. The transcript does not show any board response during public comment.
