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Former District 118 Superintendent Dr. Alicia Geddis Files Federal Court Lawsuit against District; Two Board Members Named Defendants

By Steve Brandy Sep 9, 2026 | 1:51 PM

ABOVE: Dr. Alicia Geddis (middle) shown at 2022 Danville District 118 Board meeting.  Also in picture (L to R): former board member Shannon Schroeder, Geddis, former board president Dr. Randal Ashton, current board president Darlene Halloran.

FOLLOWING STORY BY NEWS-GAZETTE’S JENNIFER BAILEY AND CIMG’S STEVE BRANDY

 

DANVILLE — Former Danville School District 118 superintendent Alicia Geddis, who received a settlement with her departure, has filed a lawsuit through federal court in Urbana against the school district and naming two board members as defendants.
She’s seeking additional financial damages.
The lawsuit filed on Aug. 20 claims a breach of contract and loss of benefits, interference by board members Darlene Halloran and Kim Corley (who voted against Geddis’ settlement agreement) with Geddis’ contract, a first amendment free-speech violation in reporting about criminal racist threats, and also harm to her reputation.
It was February 2025 when the board approved a separation and settlement agreement with Geddis of more than $500,000 and placed her on paid administrative leave. Geddis had started working remotely the previous fall due to what she said were security threats against her and quit attending school board meetings. She never returned to in-person work, even though the board requested that she do so.
Current Superintendent John Hart became superintendent in June 2025 after being interim superintendent and previously assistant superintendent under Geddis.
The board through the settlement agreed to extend Geddis’ contract through the 2025-26 school year on paid administrative leave. The settlement agreement, aimed to avoid further litigation, stated when Geddis’ contract terminated on June 30, 2026, the board was to pay $250,000 in liquidated damages. The district has not made the payment.
“Plaintiff has suffered the loss of over $300,000 owed under Settlement Agreement II, thousands more in potential reductions to per pension and unpaid vacation days,” the lawsuit reads.
The lawsuit also claims that Geddis was demanded to repay $203,000 in retirement overpayment and she’s not being paid for 12 vacation days owed or health insurance coverage.
Geddis’ attorney Jerome M. Davis nor school district officials could be reached for comment.

The vote in April of 2025 in favor of the settlement was 4-3, with Dr. Randal Ashton, Shannon Schroeder, Pastor Thomas Miller, and Elder Tyson Parks voting in favor it.  None of them are currently on the District 118 Board.  The three voting against it were Alice Payne, Kimberly Corley, and Darlene Halloran; all of whom are still on the District 118 Board, with Darlene Halloran now serving as president.

It was shortly after the passing of the settlement agreement that incoming elected school board member Toni Towne, prior to her being sworn in as a board member, represented herself in a Vermilion County Court case in objection to the agreement.

Although she was told by a judge at the time that her case had “several procedural deficiencies,” Towne stated at that time that she had plans to meet with an attorney because there were still some very important issues to be explored.  This was her comment to CIMG that day:

“Part of the problem was there was some possible delinquencies in the open meetings act, when the board members did not even know what the amount of the settlement was that they were asked to vote on; and then to ultimately sign.”

Meanwhile, outgoing board member Shannon Schroeder stated to CIMG at that time that it was too risky to pursue the situation any further.

“There was high, high possibility of litigation; of big litigation.  It was a lot of risk.  So for me, the situation was to mitigate the risk,” said Schroeder, explaining her vote on the settlement.

Members of the current District 118 Board and Superintendent John Hart have taken a “no comment” or “no new information at this time” approach when asked of late if there was any pending action concerning the 2025 settlement with Geddis.

 

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