Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Student Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parents and advocates urge District 128 board to investigate alleged Title IX, reporting failures
Summary
Multiple parents and community members used the public-comment period to press District 128 for an independent review of Title IX handling and mandated-reporting practices after a lawsuit alleged misconduct; speakers said prior warnings were dismissed and urged administrative accountability.
Several parents and residents at the March 16 District 128 Board of Education meeting urged trustees to open an independent review of how the district handled Title IX complaints and mandated-reporting duties, saying earlier warnings about procedural failures were not heeded.
"If the district was struggling to follow proper procedures for something like sports equity, what would happen when a more serious student safety issue arose?" Laura Weber, a District 128 parent, asked the board during the public-comment period. Weber said concerns about Title IX and the district's Title IX coordinator exposed confusion about investigative responsibilities and conflicts of interest.
Susan Van Boening told the board that parents had provided emails, documentation and evidence about Title IX compliance that had received "little or no response" from trustees, and said there is "now a 6- or 7-figure lawsuit connected to these failures." She urged the board to scrutinize information from administrators and to insist on accurate, documented reporting from staff.
Janet Hyam, who identified herself as an HR leader, listed five areas she said showed noncompliance, including the handling of a 2023 Title IX complaint, failures to follow Illinois mandated-reporter and DCFS guidelines, a pattern of complaints about staff misconduct that were not addressed, weaknesses in recruiting and hiring practices, and alleged ADA noncompliance at Libertyville High School athletic facilities. Hyam asked the board to open an independent investigation and requested that Associate Superintendent Bridal Kelly be placed on administrative leave pending its outcome.
Marnie Navarro, an attorney and parent, said the district "knowingly allowed a teacher with known and well-documented mental health, erratic behavior, and addiction issues" to work with vulnerable students and that parents were not told about personnel or safety developments. Navarro cited a superintendent's decision from September 2025 and said the community is demanding accountability and transparency.
Several speakers read or referenced board policy and state law on mandated reporting. John Hetzel read portions of board policy 5-90 and said that, if staff observed suspected abuse and did not report it to DCFS, "that's a criminal law." Hetzel said he has copies of emails and allegations in a 25-page complaint he described as "damning evidence," though he acknowledged those are allegations in the pending lawsuit.
Speakers urged trustees to act on oversight responsibilities rather than serve as "colleagues of the administration," and some asked trustees to consider administrative leave or resignations for individuals they say failed to act.
Board members did not take public action on those requests during the public-comment period. The meeting proceeded to scheduled reports and business. After a closed session later in the evening, trustees voted to approve an administrator contract for Ben Rodriguez; the board did not connect that personnel action on the record to the public comments that night.
The district did not provide immediate responses to the allegations during the meeting. The board agenda included a note that it would return to open session after an executive session and that there might be one action on an administrator contract; trustees approved that contract on return from closed session.
