Lake Forest Middle School Principal Resigns Without Explanation

LAKE FOREST, IL — The principal of a Lake Forest middle school who has been on indefinite leave without explanation since he was reportedly escorted out of the building last month has submitted his resignation. The Lake Forest School District 67 board was scheduled to approve a separation agreement Tuesday. But district staff have declined to provide parents with any explanation of the circumstances of his departure or make a copy of the settlement agreement public ahead of the meeting.

Tom Cardamone, 44, of Grayslake, had spent more than two decades as a teacher at Deer Path Middle School, where he was named principal in July 2012, records show. His most recent contract included a base salary of more than $155,000. Lake Forest police said there was no criminal investigation into Cardamone, who has not responded to a request for comment.

The district said Cardamone had a single disciplinary case that had not been resolved at the time he went on leave. Records of the case contains information that could potentially identify students, according to a denial of a public records request.

District officials have declined to disclose whether Cardamone was placed on leave of his own volition, only saying it involved a personnel matter. However, the principal was not included among those requesting voluntary leaves of absence at the board's last regular meeting.

An Oct. 8 special board meeting was scheduled to hold closed-door discussions of personnel matters among board members. During public comment, parents expressed concerns over being kept in the dark about the principal's departure after he was escorted out of the school building in late September, the Lake Forest Leader first reported. The district has not released any video of the meeting.

An automated reply to a request for comment sent the following day said Cardamone was out of the office without providing any anticipated date of return. It said he planned to return phone calls and emails upon his return.

Superintendent Mike Simeck notified parents of Cardamone's resignation last week without offering any explanation, saying it was a "challenging time" for staff. The Lake Forester reported Simeck had already notified parents that Assistant Principals Megan Eigenrauch and Sam Paulsen would be acting administrators for the building, along with former District 102 Superintendent Theresa Dunkin.

Kathy Hughes, the administrative assistant to the district's chief operating officer, has not responded to a request made last week for Cardamone's settlement agreement and letter of resignation.

As of the start of the board's Oct. 29 meeting, district staff did not include a copy of the item titled, "Tom Cardamone, Administrator, Resignation Agreement and General Release" in the board's agenda packet.

Cardamone's unexplained leave and resignation comes nearly eight years after another Deer Path Middle School principal resigned. John Steinert stepped down after details emerged of his conviction for sexting an intern at Lake Forest College from a district-owned cell phone in 2009. Following Steinert's November 2011 resignation, the District 67 board voted to appoint a former federal prosecutor to investigate the handling of the incident. In the wake of the scandal, former Lake Forest Schools Superintendent Harry Griffith retired to be replaced by Mike Simeck, who remains superintendent today.

Earlier:

• District 67 Board Accepts Deer Path Middle School Principal's Resignation
• School District 67 Hires Independent Counsel To Investigate Principal Resignation
• Parents, Community Members Seek Accountability from District 67 Board, Superintendent
• Safer: Steinert Investigation By District 67 Was Not Thorough