Former Educator Demands Transparency At March 10 Lincoln-Way 210 Board of Education Meeting

Lee R. Talley is a retired educator and administrator who currently resides in Tinley Park. In addition to serving on Blue Island's School Board, Talley has 28 years of education experience.

His previous three speeches can be viewed on previous Patch postings.

On March 10, Talley once again spoke to the Lincoln-Way 210 Board of Education.

He reminded the Board of their duty to the taxpayers of Lincoln-Way 210 and asked why criminal charges were not being pursued against former District Superintendent Lawrence Wyllie, whose financial mismanagement has been uncovered in the past year.

He questioned why Superintendent Dr. R. Scott Tingley had not been forthcoming with the dire financial condition of the district when he assumed his post in 2013.

Talley said the community would be unable to heal under the current administration, and called for the immediate termination of Tingley, and Assistant Superintendent of Business Ron Sawin, who has since been relieved of duties following the revelation that the District had been wrongfully overcharging for Driver's Education.

The District recently had to refund almost $400,000 for that mistake.

Talley's speech in full:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRGl3py0o2o

"WON'T GET FOOLED AGAIN!"

"WHY? WHY DOES THIS BOARD AND ADMINISTRATION CONTINUE TO WANT TO OPERATE IN THE DARK BEHIND CLOSED DOORS? WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO HIDE? TO ME, YOUR METHODOLOGY IS COMING FROM A POSITION OF WEAKNESS, NOT STRENGTH. IT LACKS INTEGRITY. THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A DEMOCRACY. I GUESS WE DIDN'T REALIZE THAT IT'S A CHINESE DEMOCRACY.

"RIGHT NOW, THIS BOARD AND ADMINISTRATION HAS A HUGE CREDIBILITY AND TRANSPARENCY PROBLEM. MANY OF US DON'T BELIEVE ANYTHING COMING OUT OF THIS DISTRICT ANY MORE. YOU HAVE A MYOPIC VIEW OF THINGS FROM INSIDE THE BUBBLE.

"I FIND IT TROUBLING THAT THE ONLY WAY THE PUBLIC HAS FOUND OUT WHO EVEN APPLIED FOR THESE BOARD POSITIONS IS THAT THE PRESS HAD TO FOIA THE DISTRICT. EVEN THEN, MR. SAWIN GRUDGINGLY SUPPLIED ONLY A LIST OF NAMES.

"WHY YOUR FOIA OFFICER DOES THIS IS BEYOND ME? BUT THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT'S BEEN DONE WITH FOIA REQUESTS IN THE PAST YEAR. MAYBE HE FEELS HIS ROLE IS THAT OF OBSTRUCTIONIST. AS A TAXPAYER IN THE DISTRICT I FIND THIS BEHAVIOR SHAMEFUL. BUT I GUESS WHEN YOU HAVE NO SHAME, IT EITHER HAS NO IMPACT OR YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND IT.

"WHY WEREN'T THE BOARD INTERVIEWS DONE IN AN OPEN FORUM RATHER THAN CLOSED SESSIONS? WHY WEREN'T PRIOR RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE TWO NEW BOARD MEMBERS DISCLOSED PUBLICLY BEFORE THE SELECTION PROCESS?

"REGARDING ALL THESE FINANCIAL DEALINGS. SOMEONE HAD TO KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON AROUND HERE. IN PARTICULAR, MR. SAWIN, WHOSE OFFICE EVERYTHING SEEMINGLY FUNNELS THROUGH. YOU MUST HAVE SEEN THE BILLS, THE WORK ORDERS, THE CONTRACTS, THE CHECK PAYMENTS. YOU SUBMITTED THEM TO THE BOARD. YOU AUTHORIZED THE PAYMENTS AND KNEW TO WHOM. FIGURES LIE AND LIARS FIGURES.

"OF COURSE, YOU'LL SAY THAT YOU WERE JUST FOLLOWING ORDERS. AHHH, THE NUREMBURG DEFENSE. WE ALL KNOW HOW WELL THAT WORKED OUT DON'T WE?

"AND DR. TINGLEY, I HAVE TO TAKE ISSUE WITH SOME STATEMENTS YOU MADE THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS.
YOU SAID THAT YOU DIDN'T KNOW HOW BAD IT REALLY WAS UNTIL 2013. YET SINCE THIS PAST SUMMER YOU'VE KEPT SAYING THAT WE SHOULD HAVE CLOSED A SCHOOL AND DONE MORE FINANCIAL REDUCTIONS FIVE YEARS AGO. SO THE CONCLUSION I DRAW IS THAT YOU KNEW THAT THE DISTRICT WAS IN BAD FINANCIAL SHAPE SINCE 2010.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU SPEAK UP BACK THEN? YOU COULD HAVE AT ANY TIME, BUT YOU DIDN'T. YOU BETRAYED OUR TRUST. YOU PUT YOUR OWN PERSONAL GAIN ABOVE ALL ELSE BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T WANT TO LOSE A GOOD PAYING JOB.

"YOU COULD HAVE EVEN WENT TO THE PRESS AND ALERTED THEM ABOUT HOW BAD THINGS WERE. YOU COULD HAVE BEEN THE MARK FELT OF DISTRICT 210. BUT YOU CHOSE TO SAY NOTHING.
SO, AS WITH WATERGATE, THE PENULTIMATE QUESTIONS ARE: WHAT DID YOU KNOW AND WHEN DID YOU KNOW IT? AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN COVERING IT UP?

"I'M SO SICK OF THE HIGHER UPS GETTING AWAY WITH STEALING AND CRIMINAL ACTS, AND THEN WATCHING THOSE WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE JUST LET THEM GO ON THEIR WAY. YOU SHRUG YOUR SHOULDERS, AND GO, "OH WELL. THE PRICE OF DOING BUSINESS."

"AREN'T YOU CURIOUS ABOUT ANYTHING IN THE LAWSUIT? ESPECIALLY A LOCKED BLIND LAND TRUST THAT LET SOMEONE USE SCHOOL PROPERTY AS COLLATERAL AND HAS AN UNLIMITED LINE OF CREDIT UNTIL 2020? IF I WERE ON THE BOARD I'D CERTAINLY WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S UP WITH THAT. OR MAYBE YOU'RE ALL JUST INTELLECTUALLY INCURIOUS? LIKE I SAID BEFORE, COMPLICIT OR NEGLIGENT.

"DON'T YOU THINK YOU SHOULD BE PROSECUTING THESE PEOPLE? MAYBE THAT WOULD PUT A STOP TO IT? IT'S THE PRINCIPLE OF THE MATTER. THESE ARE NOT VICTIMLESS CRIMES.

"WHY ISN'T THE DISTRICT PURSUING CRIMINAL CHARGES AGAINST DR. WYLLIE AND MR. SAWIN? PURSUING RESTITUTION FOR THE MONEY? YOU KNOW, FRAUD, AND MISAPPROPRIATION OF FUNDS ARE FELONIES.
ANOTHER QUOTE I TAKE ISSUE WITH IS ONE ABOUT BEING FAIR TO THE RETIRING TEACHERS. MY QUESTION IS, WHY ANY BONUSES AT ALL? WHEN WE TAXPAYERS WERE GETTING HAMMERED FINANCIALLY BACK IN 2008 WITH THE RECESSION, THIS DISTRICT WENT UNAFFECTED. ALL CONTRACTS WERE REALIZED AND EVERYONE GOT THEIR MONEY. THIS ENTIRE TIME THEY'VE NEVER HAD TO SHARE IN THE PAIN OF THIS FINANCIAL MISMANAGEMENT. AND THAT'S NOT RIGHT.

"YOU WANT TO BE FAIR TO SOMEONE, HOW ABOUT BEING FAIR TO US TAXPAYERS. IN FACT, LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT MY NEIGHBORS. THE COUPLE WITH FOUR KIDS, THE FIRST ONE NOW A FRESHMAN IN COLLEGE. THE DIVORCED WOMAN WHO LOST HER JOB AFTER 24 YEARS AND HER DAUGHTER WHO IS HOME ON DISABILITY. OR THE THREE SENIOR CITIZENS, NOW TWO BECAUSE ONE HAS PASSED, WONDERING HOW THEY'RE GOING TO HOLD ON TO THEIR HOME.

"DO YOU EVER THINK OF PEOPLE LIKE THESE WHEN YOU'RE MAKING FINANCIAL DECISIONS OR WASTING MONEY?
I READ THAT THE SUPERDOG TRAINING SCHOOL MADE $76,000 UNDER THE FRANKFORT SQUARE PARK DISTRICT. YOU PROBABLY SAY THAT'S NOTHING. IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD THAT'S ABOUT 30 HOMES WORTH OF TAXES. AND YOU HAVE THE AUDACITY TO RAISE THE TAX LEVY AGAIN THIS YEAR. YOU SPEND RECKLESSLY, THEN KEEP COMING BACK FOR EVEN MORE MONEY.

"YOU HAVE AN ASST. SUPT. OF BUSINESS, MR. SAWIN, WHO CONTINUES TO BE AN OBSTRUCTIONIST, COMPLICIT IN COVERING UP AND, EITHER THROUGH INCOMPETENCE OR INTENTION, CONTINUES TO MISLEAD THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE FINANCES IN THIS DISTRICT.

"NO MATTER WHAT YOU SAY OR DO, DR. TINGLEY AND MR. SAWIN, YOU WILL ALWAYS HAVE THE TAINT OF DR. WYLLIE ON YOU. I FIND THAT YOU TWO HAVE BEEN LESS THAN HONEST, DECEITFUL, AND CONTINUE TO OPERATE IN THE SAME MANNER AS THE LAST SUPT.

"I THINK PETE TOWNSEND SAID IT BEST BACK IN 1971: "MEET THE NEW BOSS, SAME AS THE OLD BOSS." THE SONG, "WON'T GET FOOLED AGAIN!" IT FITS.

"ALL SAID, AND THIS IS NOT PERSONAL AND I TAKE NO JOY IN SAYING IT, I AM REQUESTING THAT DR. TINGLEY AND MR. SAWIN RESIGN THEIR POSITIONS IN THE NEXT 30 DAYS. IF NOT, I ASK THE BOARD TO REMOVE AND RE-ASSIGN BOTH INDIVIDUALS, OR SUSPEND WITH PAY UNTIL PROPER DUE PROCESS TAKES PLACE, UNTIL THEY CAN BE TERMINATED WITH JUST CAUSE. YOU CAN CONTACT THE ILLINOIS STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION FOR REPLACEMENTS UNTIL SUCH TIME A NATION-WIDE SEARCH CAN BE UNDERTAKEN TO FIND A NEW SUPERINTENDENT AND ASST. SUPERINTENDENT.

"IN SHORT, WE WILL NEVER KNOW THE COMPLETE TRUTHS ABOUT THIS DISTRICT UNTIL YOU CLEAN HOUSE AND BRING IN NEW PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD NO CONNECTION OR RELATIONSHIP WITH THIS DISTRICT.

"WHY? BECAUSE YOU OWE IT TO THE TAXPAYERS OF THE DISTRICT, THAT'S WHY. ANY QUESTIONS?"