Another potential scandal at District 150 was revealed last week by the WEEK-TV news team:
Sources tell us district 150 security this week was notified of employees possibly selling District 150 computers illegally over the Internet.
Those sources say there was a raid at the district’s Ricketts Center and several shredders and computer hard drives were confiscated.
Meanwhile, the State’s Attorney office is still investigating the circumstances surrounding Julie McArdle’s termination nearly one year ago. McArdle made multiple allegations of misconduct in a lawsuit against District 150, Academic Officer Mary Davis, former Superintendent Ken Hinton, and former Human Resources Director Tom Broderick.
In light of all this apparent corruption at District 150, I’d just like to offer this public service announcement to District 150 teachers and staff members: Illinois offers whistleblower protection. Julie McArdle not only made her complaints to the police, but also to former Superintendent Hinton, and it was her disclosure to Hinton that allegedly led to retaliation against her. But you don’t have to tell District 150 what you know. According to the State of Illinois’ website, “Your identity as a whistleblower is kept confidential, except in rare circumstances where disclosure is required by law.”
I would encourage any teachers or staffers at District 150 with knowledge and evidence of corruption to tell what you know through the State’s whistleblower process. It will protect you from retaliation, but be a huge benefit to students, parents, and taxpayers. Here’s that site again: whistleblower.illinois.gov.
Awesome, CJ. Thanks!
And if doing the right thing on behalf of Peoria’s children and families isn’t enough of a reward for you, consider this statement within the document linked to above:
a whistleblower can get up to 30% of the amount recovered as a reward upon completion of a successful whistleblower suit.
I am not clear on who conducted the “raid”. Hopefully, it was the police and this possible activity isn’t being investigated “internally”. Just wondering about something: if D150 employees have knowledge of illegal activities (as bystanders, not participants), would they be considered accomplices?
TR64 I’m no attorney but feel confidant it wouldn’t be a crime if you were not participating. I don’t think there is a legal obligation to report suspected criminal activity (other than mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse) especially if you don’t have *proof* per se. All that said, I would rather go to the authorities with my suspicions of a crime than have them come to me.
The link is to 740 ILCS 175/1. McArdle petition cites 740 ILCS 174/1, a different Act. It is not clear to me based on the allegations of her complaint that she actually reported the alledged illegal acts to the police, which is a requirement of the Act under which she filed suit.
Frustrated: I am not at all certain that this relates to McArdle–she may not have known anything about this more recent issue of selling items on E-Bay. It may or may not relate to Mary Davis, not sure of that–in fact, doubt it. This time I think the 150 administration may be cooperating, even initiating action. I guess I’m saying that I think this time the administration is uncovering, not covering up.
Frustrated-
McArdle did report the allegations to the police.
I’m sure selling a few clunky computers on eBay is minor compared to some of the other corruption they are not investigating. This may be a smokescreen to make it look like they’re doing something positive.
Frustrated – McArdle gave documentation of her allegations to the police well in advance of her termination at the board meeting on Monday. Additionally, contrary to what board members tell the press, board president Wolfmeyer was in full posession of all of the facts and supporting documents pertaining to the allegations in the McArdle complaint before they voted to terminate her contract. Why Board Attorney David Walvoord reassured the Board of Education that they should still proceed with her termination under those circumstances makes many many people wonder…
Sharon – agreed. In this case it appears the district is cooperating and that could easily be attributed to the changing of the guard in Central Admin. In fact, I understand that interim Super Durflinger has been dubbed “Stormin’ Norman”. š
skeptikrepublican: “Iām sure selling a few clunky computers on eBay is minor”
So many things wrong with this statement.
1) I’m sure
2) few
3) clunky
4) minor
making a profit off of something not yours is ILLEGAL. dont care if it was a bunch of pencils. didnt anyones families teach them not to touch things that do not belong to you?
Charlie – add to your list-
5) EBAY – everyone knows that Craigs’s list is better.
Someone just told me that if you call the Illinois Whistleblowing hotline the wait time for the info to trickle down to the proper authorities can be years. Another option would be to report directly to the Peoria Police Department – ask for “Investigations”.
The job will only be half done if Buildings & Grounds is let off the hook! Talk about corrupt? Theft of building materials and tools, personal use of cell phones (yes, each and every person there has one), no time clocks so breaks and lunches are totally unaccounted for, personal use of district vehicles and kick backs galore! Believe me, I know.
As a whistleblower, “why does a District 150 van sit in Schnucks parking lot every day before school?”
While you all are getting ready to blow your whistles on District 150, are you also going to include the City of Peoria, the Police Department and the Park District as well as all other public entities; or is this whistle blowing only particular to
District 150, because they are the only public entity that is mis-using our tax dollars?
Emerge, is your point that people should not come forward and expose illegal activity because everyone else is doing it too? It sure sounds like it. If you are aware of shenanigans going on in these other “public entities” lay it on us, or the authorities.
The highest courage is to dare to be yourself in the face of adversity. Choosing right over wrong, ethic over convenience, and truth over popularity … these are choices that measure your life. Travel the path of integrity without looking back, for there is never a wrong time to do the right thing.
Michael Moore — Your words harkened me back to an African-American Culture/Lit class: “We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the vitriolic words and actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence of the good people.” ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
Apply those words to whomever and whatever situation you will.
Great quote, nobody.
A new PJS article states that Mary Ward is now on paid administrative leave. Also, in the process of investigating the theft, evidence of viewing pornography sites has been found on a computer at Ricketts.
That Dist. 150 van that I was talking about in my last statement is here at Schnucks parking lot again. He is reading the paper and should be at work. The license plate # is M158553. Let us make these guys earn their paycheck.
I think the board recently passed some new policy about administrative leave–maybe there is a deadline for paid leave.
Haven’t you had enough yet?
When is it it time to stop trying to fix the system, go ahead and scrap it and start over? No more band-aids, no more bondo, no more cosmetics and clever rhetoric. The system… not only the school district, but the whole corporate structure of our nation is ruptured. We need to revoke all charters for incorporation, we need to decentralize government decision making, end career politicians and we need to put a muzzle on the unlimited voice of advertisers and opinion creators. Unfortunately money talks in our society. THAT has to end.
OSHA visited Peoria High School and the school failed the inspection. This is something that the taxpayers should know about. What a great decision K. Hinton the School Board made to keep the oldest building west of the Allegheny Mtns. open. Has anyone heard anything on this?
I’m now curious about this OSHA visit. Also, PHS might be the oldest school, but it isn’t the oldest building west of the Alleghenies. It might not be the oldest building in Peoria–not sure.
ICC is going to raise tuition…again.
Any takers?
an average of 8.4% per year since 2000
By the way that man is still sitting in the District #150 van in the Schnucks parking lot every morning reading the paper. Can somebody please get that man to go to work? The license plate # is M158553.
It is the District 150 version of “go get me a cup of coffee”. Except in this case it coffee and donuts, bagels and scones…
“Except in this case it’s coffee and donuts, bagels and scones…”
…. laptops, smartboards, projecters and hard drives.
Honestman,
unless Stormin Norman has changed things I’m pretty sure that this blog as well as Peoria Pundit are blocked sites, which were orders directed by King Hinton. Guess maybe some BOARD MEMBER WHO READS THIS NAMED JIM ought to be finding out about that van! If it is legit and Schnuck’s has some contract with D150 for food products EVERYDAY then let’s hear it! BTW it’s funny that yet another expensive lap top confiscated from RR last week had porn on it, but D150 computers can’t access this board! Rather sick in that way too, isn’t it?
Well, it’s good for freedom of the press, that 150 can’t ban websites from personal computers, so 150 employees are, of course, free to read PeoriaChronicle–of course, work time isn’t the best time to write on blogs any way.