Fired teacher sues Black Lives Matter activist running for school board chicagotribune.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from chicagotribune.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Updated 3/17/2021 3:11 PM
A former Palatine High School teacher fired last summer over a controversial Facebook post is suing a candidate for the Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 board for what she alleges were defamatory statements intended to harm her.
Jeanne Hedgepeth s lawsuit against Palatine resident Tim McGowan seeks in excess of $50,000 in compensatory and punitive damages for defamation and intentional interference with an existing business relationship. It was filed last month in a Cook County court.
The lawsuit claims McGowan made knowingly false statements in a Facebook post and video in June in an effort to have Hedgepeth fired from Palatine High School, where she d worked since 2000.
Posted3/15/2021 5:30 AM
The improvement of equity and equitable opportunities in Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 and what exactly that means are among the issues in the campaign for three seats on the district s board of education.
Some of the nine candidates see the issue as primarily one of racial equity within the culture of the district. Others interpret it more broadly to include how educational and other resources are allocated among its five main schools.
Candidate Tim McGowan said recent Freedom of Information Act requests have brought to light inequities that affect all students of the district, such as a large disparity between the numbers of Black and white students being suspended. He believes improved education of teachers and staff about these issues can help them better serve students.
District 211 candidates debate taxes, finances Upper from left, Curtis Bradley, Jessica Hinkle, Anna Klimkowicz, Tim McGowan, Amy Nelson and lower from left, Kristen Steel, Robi Vollkommer, Denise Wilson and Roxanne Wittkamp are District 211 board candidates.
Updated 3/7/2021 2:51 PM
While Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 has faced new challenges related to the pandemic this year, the nine candidates for three open seats on the board of education also discussed some older issues including the handling of spending and taxes during a joint interview with the Daily Herald.
Anna Klimkowicz, the only incumbent, is joined on the April 6 ballot by first-time candidates Curtis Bradley, Jessica Hinkle, Tim McGowan, Amy Nelson, Kristen Steel, Robi Vollkommer, Denise Wilson and Roxanne Wittkamp.
Watch forum between candidates for District 211 school board
Updated 3/5/2021 10:31 AM
Watch candidates for the school board in Palatine-Schaumburg Townships High School District 211 take part in a joint interview with a representative of the Daily Herald Editorial Board.
The 95-minute exchange was recorded Thursday, March 4.
Participating were incumbent Anna Klimkowicz of Schaumburg and challengers Curtis Bradley of Hoffman Estates, Jessica Hinkle of Schaumburg, Tim McGowan of Palatine, Amy Nelson of Palatine, Kristen Steel, Robi Vollkommer of Schaumburg and Denise Wilson of Hoffman Estates. A ninth candidate, Roxanne Wittkamp of Palatine, was unable to attend because of an illness.
They are competing for three seats on the school board.