Judge Dismisses Board Member's Suit Against Board, Superintendent

SKOKIE, IL — A lawsuit against the Niles Township High School District 219 board filed by one of its members was thrown out last week, Pioneer Press reported. On May 21, a Cook County judge dismissed Mark Sproat's civil suit against the District 219 board alleging that disciplinary action taken against him was improper.

Sproat, the board's former president, was accused of using his position to pressure a Niles West High School basketball coach to give his child more playing time. The former coach and gym teacher resigned and was awarded a settlement worth three times the stipend he would have received following a grievance filed by the Niles Township Federation of Teachers and Support Staff union, according to the Skokie Review.

The board last year launched an independent investigation into Sproat, which his lawsuit said was improper. Lawyers for the district argued that the board's discipline could not be reviewed by a judge. Judge Franklin Valderrama agreed, Pioneer Press reported, granting the district's motion to dismiss the case "in its entirety."

Sproat denies all allegations and has no intention of stepping down, despite efforts by fellow board members to explore ways to unseat him and a public request for his resignation from one. He told Pioneer Press he has suffered retaliation because his wife filed a formal complaint with the district about his child being bullied on the basketball team.

Naming as defendants Cook County, the District 219 Board of Education, Superintendent Steven Isoye and the district's grievance manager Amy Tucker, Sproat's suit described the accusations of abuse of power as "unsubstantiated hearsay." He said the board has engaged in a "witch hunt" against him, according to the Review, and told the paper he would consider appealing the ruling after further consultations with his lawyer, Robert Weiner.

Read more from the Skokie Review

Related:

• D-219 School Board Moves To Remove Member Over Lawsuit
• Niles West Coach Says Harassment By Ex-School Board President Made Him Quit