Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Personnel Privacy Community Relations topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Public speakers criticize Cicero SD 99 over handling of teacher's social-media investigation
Summary
At a Sept. 15 special meeting, three public commenters criticized Cicero SD 99's public notice and investigation of a teacher's social-media post, saying the matter should have remained private and urging the board to stand with the Latino community.
At a Sept. 15 special open meeting of the Cicero School District 99 Board of Education, three public commenters urged the district to reconsider how it handled an investigation into an educator's social-media post.
Gerardo Nava questioned the district's public statement about the investigation, saying he had read community Facebook comments and asking "why District 99 was not standing with the Latino community of Cicero." Christina Rodriguez, identified in the minutes as a "Special Education teacher at Goodwin," said staff received an email about a teacher placed on administrative leave and called that notice unnecessary, saying her comments were "not directed to our students, our families or our schools" and asking why the matter was publicized rather than kept private.
A resident identified as Brad told the board he wanted them to know about a news article and asserted that "people are getting fired for allegedly celebrating Charlie Kirk's murder," adding that the post in question "was not an offense to get fired" and suggesting the issue "could be resolved in ten minutes." The minutes record no board reply or formal response to the public comments during the session.
The speakers framed their remarks as matters of privacy and community trust rather than classroom conduct. Christina Rodriguez said the district's broadly shared email damaged "the integrity and unity of a school community," arguing the district should not have notified the entire school community and parents about the personnel matter. Gerardo Nava and Brad called for the district to show solidarity with Latino community concerns and to avoid what they described as disproportionate personnel action.
No executive session was held to consider personnel matters; President Tomschin later stated there was "no need to adjourn into Executive Session." The minutes do not record any subsequent board direction to staff about the investigation, nor do they list any formal action related to personnel during the special meeting.
The board's minutes identify the complainant and the commenters by name where provided; the minutes do not include the full text of the district's public statement or the educator's social-media post. The district did not provide amounts, timelines, or other specifics about the investigation in the minutes for this meeting.
