ABOVE: Danville District 118 School Board at the start of Wednesday evening (Nov 20th) meeting; with empty chairs for Superintendent Dr. Alicia Geddis and Board Member Elder Tyson Parks.
The Danville District 118 School Board has called for Superintendent Dr. Alicia Geddis to return to on site work, after several weeks of working remotely due to alleged threats. While the agenda for Wednesday night’s meeting called for public discussion on the superintendent’s status among school board members, that part actually did not happen.
Instead, after entering the meeting room a half-hour late, at 7 PM, after an extended closed session; Board President Dr. Randal Ashton read a join statement by the board, and said there would be no further comment. The statement said the board takes any threat very seriously, but that with the Danville Police declaring the threat unfounded and the FBI still considering their investigation; they believe it is time for Dr. Geddis to return to on site work. However, no deadline date was given for her return.
(1st Picture) Former Danville City Alderwoman Brenda Brown. (2nd Picture) District 118 Board candidate Toni Kimberlin Towne.
Dr. Geddis was not in attendance, nor was Board Member Elder Tyson Parks. But shortly after the meeting, Dr. Geddis spoke with CIMG Media. She stated that “it was always our plan for me to return to on site work. And we are currently waiting for the results of a safety assessment by a security company.”
Dr. Geddis explained further that the security company the district used is staffed by retired state police officers; and she said that the entire school board, all seven members, approved the hiring of this security company. Geddis says she spent three hours with this company going through the Dr. David Fields Administrative Service Center on Veterans Day, with the goal of “figuring out what needs to be put in place at the Fields building to make everyone feel safe,” after what Dr. Geddis previously told us were a total of four different harassment incidents in the Fields Building parking lot, seen by a total of five administrators.
(1st Picture, Middle) District 118 Superintendent Dr. Alicia Geddis (not present at Wednesday’s meeting). (2nd Picture) District 118 School Board member Kimberly Corley.
As for the meeting itself, about a half-dozen different speakers spoke during the public comment period. Former Danville Alderwoman Brenda Brown said what Dr. Geddis spoke of threat wise must be taken seriously, and brought back some bad memories for her.
AUDIO: Her safety needs to be considered, that’s number one. I know as a board they have to be responsible, she is their employee. But, again, I believe her safety is what’s important first. And then, a decision can be made on when that person should return.
District 118 School Board candidate Toni Kimberlin Towne cautioned that the board must remember that the superintendent works for them, and that they should not be kept from speaking their minds, and voting the way they wish. Although Towne says she did not see anything like that Wednesday night.
AUDIO: But I’ve heard other things too that make me wonder if someone doesn’t intimidate, and I don’t want that. And I’m going to stand up there and try to stop that if it ever does happen.
Public comment of a different topic came from DHS Science Teacher Anna Kelly, who said she is being turned down for medical leave despite her battle against a serious illness caused by an aggressive cancer gene that runs in her family. Kelly says at the least, the district policy must be changed to allow employees to more easily donate their sick leave days to others. Because right now she’s basically being told “you’re situation does not matter.”
AUDIO: Currently with the policy, they have to approve it before colleagues can donate. And I’ve been told that I’m not sick enough; that at no point my life was in danger.
During board member comments at the end of the meeting, the two members who had called for discussion of the superintendent’s status alluded to the topic very briefly. Darlene Halloran stated “you are being heard,” ” we want answers,” and “we are not taking this lightly.” Kimberly Corley talked about the climate within the District 118 schools, saying that she knows what the staff feels and knows what the staff thinks. She concluded her comments by saying, “I’m going to shut up now.”
