About a month after voting to suspend Superintendent Duane Meighan for 10 days, the Country Club Hills Elementary District 160 board on Wednesday decided to suspend him again, this time indefinitely and without pay.
The vote came after a prolonged closed meeting where board President Sharon Mack said the board members discussed their reasoning for Meighan’s most recent suspension. In response to a Daily Southtown Freedom of Information Act request received on Aug. 13, the district said no formal disciplinary action had been taken against Meighan prior to his July suspension.
The board also appointed an interim superintendent, Denise Julius, who is listed on the South Holland Elementary District 150 website as that district’s assistant superintendent of specialized services, leading special education, early childhood, gifted and English language programs. Her biography says her approach to education is child-centered, allowing students to “be entrepreneurs of their own learning.”
“My greatest initiative is to provide leadership that will facilitate an environment providing differentiated instruction to meet the needs of each student to the best of his or her ability, within the least restrictive environment,” Julius’ biography states. “I believe students with exceptionalities should consistently be challenged to reach their fullest potential.”
The board plans to appoint a second interim superintendent at a later date, Mack said.
Before Wednesday’s special meeting, the board planned to appoint Mable Alfred as interim superintendent, according to its online agenda. Alfred in 2019 sued Matteson Elementary District 159 after spending nearly three months on paid leave as the district’s superintendent, leading the district to extend her contract and pay her a $25,000 settlement.
Meighan has been a target of district parents’ strife as the district uncovers massive spending on board member conference travel, including more than $25,000 spent in 2024 alone, according to a Daily Southtown analysis of district financial records.
Sequoia Williams, a district parent and advocate, said she was shocked the district moved to suspend Meighan less than a month after his return from a previous suspension, but said she is hopeful Meighan’s leaving will lead to better outcomes for students.
Williams has been outspoken in pushing for better student resources and said a recent complaint has led the Illinois State Board of Education to investigate the district’s treatment of special education students.
“I think that this is a win for the district,” Williams said. “I think that we can finally get to a place of healing and trying to put back those pieces that have been damaged.”
Williams said she is optimistic about Julius coming in as interim superintendent due to her experience leading special education programming at District 150.
At recent board meetings, Mack said she is continuing to investigate district spending. Last month, she reported $867,000 spent via an American Express credit card used for many travel purchases between January 2023 and June of this year as well as a vehicle purchased without authorization being used by a board member.
“There are many charges I have questions and concerns about,” Mack said regarding the American Express card.
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