Pot issue at Zion Middle School embroils district

By Gregory Harutunian for Chronicle Media

 

Fernando Salcedo

Fernando Salcedo

Zion elementary School District is in the midst of a firestorm, following reports of two individuals allegedly smoking marijuana with students at Zion’s Central Middle School.

The matter is still under review by The Zion Police Department for additional charges against two individuals for contributing to the delinquency of a minor by allegedly smoking marijuana with students, and supplying marijuana to them at Central Middle School.

The fallout has drawn lines and created divisions between parents, students, and administrators revolving around lacking notifications to the community at large, in a timely fashion.

Central Middle School, housing seventh- and eighth-graders, dismissed a contract company’s custodian, working at the site, for allegedly participating in smoking marijuana with students and giving it to a student in one instance. Fernando Salcedo, 21, of Waukegan was relieved of his duties Oct. 27, and arrested by Zion Police on three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, after a parent reported the circumstances to school officials.

Parents and several community activists appeared at the subsequent Zion City Council session Nov. 1 to express their concerns over a “lack of communication” to parents, from the city and police department.

Steven Cecil

Steven Cecil

“This is about our children, and protecting them in a school environment and within the community,” said Clyde McLemore, the Lake County Chairperson, for the Black Lives Matter organization, after the meeting.

“This man allegedly smoked marijuana at the Central School with kids, and there was no information from the police department or city. Black Lives Matter is for youth, but in Lake County, they want us in the background and not to speak up about these issues.”

The district sent out alerts Nov. 11 to parents and guardians that had signed up for email contact regarding announcements, although no information was posted to the district’s website.

A prepared statement from Central Middle School principal Tonya Hosing stated, in part, “The district is fully cooperating with local authorities and informed the contracting firm that the custodian will no longer be permitted on district property.

It further said, “… please understand that (we) cannot share information regarding open personnel and/or open investigations. This statement is the extent to which district can comment on these matters … Know that the district is committed to ensuring that all children and young people in it care are in a safe, protected environment.”

Police officials indicated that releasing information, when involving juveniles, is a difficult area. McLemore pointed out that Zion police also learned that Steven Cecil, 18, of Zion, was allegedly involved in smoking marijuana with the group.

“He was charged with two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, I believe he is adult age,” he said.

Central Middle School.

Central Middle School.

At the Nov. 14 school district meeting, the attorney representing the district indicated that no further comment would be made on the issue for the reason of privacy issues concerning the juveniles. A Nov. 9 emergency meeting of the school board went into closed session to discuss pending litigation, and later, sought approval of the superintendent’s recommendation for custodial services.

A side issue has also been presented concerning District 6 Superintendent Keely Roberts, and a federal civil suit brought against her as a defendant, from her tenure at the Round Lake Area Schools District 116, as well as seven other defendants.

The filing, under 15CV02013, cites that bi-lingual coordinator Claudia Vroman was removed from the position by Dist. 116’s executive director of teaching and learning, Keely Roberts, purportedly “because she was Hispanic, and expressed support for students” with Spanish as a first language.

Vroman was given a lateral transfer to William J. Murphy Elementary School in Round Lake Park, for 2013-14, as an assistant principal. The suit further contended that the bi-lingual coordinator job qualifications were changed and the position filled by a “white woman who doesn’t speak Spanish.”

Three counts of the amended suit were dismissed without prejudice on Nov. 18, 2015 by Judge James Zagel, due to “failure in not exhausting administrative remedies,” in the instance, cross-filings with the Illinois Department of Human Rights and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Another concern being raised in the community is the district’s 2016 Summary Discipline Report, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, listing two students marked for incidents of drug offenses, 134 students with 194 discipline incidents serving in-school suspensions, and 210 students serving out-of-school suspensions for 404 discipline counts.

“This is about protest for our children, and the parents and children have to be made aware of these situations,” said McLemore.

Several messages seeking comment from Roberts for this article were not returned. Attempts to reach Housing for comment were also unsuccessful. A district spokesperson also said there was no public information officer for the district.

The next district school board meeting is Dec. 12.