York Teacher Eyed For Disciplinary Action

ELMHURST, IL – The Elmhurst School District 205 board took no vote Tuesday to publicly reprimand a York High School teacher.

That was after the teachers union and residents spoke up for the teacher, Kelly DeLoriea, at the board meeting. Dozens of teachers attended.

For the last two years, conservatives have criticized DeLoriea and her fellow American Studies teacher, Lindsey DiTomasso, alleging their lessons are liberally biased.

The critics have included then-state Rep. Deanne Mazzochi, an Elmhurst Republican, and Tom Chavez, who leads Elmhurst Parents for Integrity in Curriculum, or EPIC.

At Tuesday's meeting, no one described what got DeLoriea in hot water.

During public comments, DeLoriea spoke about democracy and how she learned about it when her family fought to keep Elmhurst's Sandburg Middle School open when she was growing up.

She said public education was important for democracy.

"The idea that schools are apolitical requires a misunderstanding of our storied history," she said.

She received a standing ovation.

Daniel Hall, president of the Elmhurst Teachers Council, spoke generally about the board's need to protect staff. He did not refer specifically to DeLoriea.

"When the staff is attacked by members of the community, we expect and need the board to speak up for us and to do what it needs to do to protect us as teachers, so we can go in the classroom to do our jobs," said Hall, a York math teacher.

Rebecca McKinney, a union representative and an English teacher at York, said it had come to the union's attention that the district was planning disciplinary action against a teacher for exercising First Amendment-protected speech.

"We would hope that the board, rather than disciplining someone for engaging in free speech, would defend our right to do so," she said.

For the April election, the union endorsed the four winning candidates, incumbents Courtenae Trautmann and Beth Hosler and newcomers Kelly Asseff and Kelly Henry. The four, who make up the board's majority, were perceived as being the progressive slate.

Resident Marsha Baker, who frequently speaks at board meetings, backed DeLoriea.

"I'm here to express my support tonight for Kelly, who is the subject of extraordinary disciplinary action," Baker said. "Over the past two years, I have watched Kelly and her fellow teacher in American Studies being subject to bullying and inflammatory statements and public personal attacks by a failed school board candidate, Tom Chavez."

She added, "The administration did not publicly defend Kelly or her colleague that I know of. The American Studies program has many supporters in the community, but personal attacks persist with no end in sight."

She said the administration was contemplating "extreme" action against DeLoriea "aimed at taking away Kelly's ability to defend herself in a public forum."

The board's agenda did not name DeLoriea as being the subject of the reprimand – known in school jargon as a "notice of remedy."

When the board reached the agenda item, board President Athena Arvanitis announced members would not act on it. She also removed an item titled "Withdrawal of Disciplinary Action."

Arvanitis did not explain the removals at the meeting. In an email to Patch, she said the board needed more time to discuss the two items.

In a text message to Patch on Tuesday night, Chavez said he had nothing against DeLoriea personally.

"What she seems to think is that rules and policies don't apply to her," he said. "Kudos to the board for holding her accountable."

DeLoriea declined Patch's request for comment Wednesday morning, referring to her statement at the meeting.