Stagg Athletic Director In Sex Harassment Probe Suspended

PALOS PARK, IL -- The Stagg High School athletic director is suspended without pay for two days over the school’s winter break after an internal investigation by Dist. 230’s legal counsel determined that Terry Treasure violated a board policy pertaining to professional conduct. Dist. 230 released a statement after business hours on Friday before the Christmas holiday that while the district’s internal investigation cleared Treasure of the sexual harassment charges made by ousted cheer coach Bridget Guzior, he was found in violation of the board’s policy on professional conduct.

Guzior had filed a complaint in September with the Illinois Department of Human Resources in alleging that Treasure, her direct supervisor, had groped her and made inappropriate sexual comments during a 16-month period. The cheer coach was placed on an unpaid suspension in August for sending what described by the Dist. 230 Board of Education as a “profane” text to a student cheer team member. After being placed on unpaid suspension in August, Guzior filed her complaint with the state. She subsequently fired for misconduct on Dec. 18.

According to a letter dated Dec. 22 from Dist. 230 Supt. Dr. James Gay notifying Treasure that he was suspended, Gay explained that the district’s legal counsel conducted numerous interviews with witnesses, none of whom could “corroborate Guzior’s statements.” Guzior declined being interviewed by district administrators’ legal team, but her attorney prepared a legal response for the board’s termination hearing.

Treasure reportedly said during the district’s internal investigation that he never intended to offend Guzior, but was trying to show her his support, empathy and improve her morale. Gay’s letter also mentions a specific incident when Guzior confided in her boss about being separated from her husband and was worried about remaining single. The athletic director also told district officials that he had one occasion given Guzior a side hug. Treasure also denied retaliating against Guzior by suspending her for texting a student. That state investigation into the sex harassment charges remains ongoing.

Gay stated that based on Treasure’s clean 25-year employment record and his senior position with Dist. 230, Treasure demonstrated a “lapse in judgement that affected a subordinate.” The athletic director was also ordered to take “sensitive training” at his own expense.

Guzior’s attorney, Thomas Skallas, said in a written statement that Treasure’s punishment was a “slap on the wrist” and only affirmed that Guzior was “discriminated and victimized and that she must seek justice in a court of law.” Skallas said that it was Treasure himself who recommended that Guzior be retained as a part-time coach last March during a performance review.

“In [Dist. 230’s] infinite wisdom, they decided that a two day suspension was appropriate for Terry Treasure, who has now admitted to harassing Coach Guzior … In this period of history where women continue to bravely come forward against their harassers, District 230 officials just showed you what will happen if someone comes forward in their schools. The victim is fired and the harasser gets a slap on the wrist. “

The parent of the student who received the text told Patch she has continually tried to explain to district administrators that she was the original recipient of Guzior’s original text to no avail. She asked that her son be included in the text because the coach was saying complimentary things about him. The text included the term “the bitch is gone,” a reference to the cheer team’s disappointing showing in the last season’s IHSA finals.

File photo by Patch Editor Dan Lambert