Linda Chase, whose local career as a school principal was shattered in the aftermath of a scandal over test cheating and other controversies at the Lake Forest elementary school she headed, is working as a principal in the Kansas City, Kan., school system.
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Officials there said she is heading a predominantly black school, some 500 miles from the tony North Shore district from which she resigned last year. At the time she was caught up in the uproar over inflated test scores, questions about a trip she took to Rome on a grant meant for science education and accusations that she was paid for working simultaneously as a private consultant and public employee.
Her new employers said Tuesday that they were unaware of that part of Chase’s past until August while she was battling with Lake Forest officials over whether she would be fired or allowed to resign. They offered her the $50,000-a-year job as Fairfax Elementary School principal about the time officials here tried to fire her.
Chase apparently never mentioned details of those controversies in her interviews with Kansas City officials. And, while they insisted Tuesday that a thorough background check of Chase had been conducted, Lake Forest Elementary District 67 Schools Supt. Arthur Jones said he was not contacted about her employment record.
The tension between Lake Forest and Chase peaked last year after district officials said she took paid time off to fly to California to work as a private consultant for a west suburban architectural firm.
During that stormy final year, she was demoted from principal to coordinator in charge of educational software in Lake Forest. She also received a letter from the Illinois state schools superintendent calling her behavior as principal “inadequate and troubling to all those who care about ethical behavior of our public school leaders.”
But despite the controversies, Chase retained her teaching and administrative certificates.
Kansas officials said it was not until August, two months after she was hired, that they first learned specifics about the controversies and asked Chase about them. They said her answers satisfied them, and they defended her work there. They also pointed out that she has never been convicted of any wrongdoing.
“She’s doing a good job for us,” said Ray Daniels, assistant superintendent for personnel in the Kansas City public schools. “We feel like what happened to her up there was explained to us.”
Daniels said he could not recall how word of Chase’s problems came to the attention of Kansas City officials, although there were reports a district employee had mentioned seeing a cable television report about the controversies from Chicago.
As Kansas City school officials defended her performance, George Grumley, Chase’s attorney, said any attempts to resurrect her past now that she has started a new life are “totally immoral.”
“I have a lady who was hounded for two years, and enough is enough,” Grumley said. “There are still a lot of people in Lake Forest who would like to hound her for the rest of her life, and, quite frankly, they shouldn’t have the privilege.”
Chase could not be reached by the Tribune for comment.
Melanie Rummel, who was the Lake Forest School Board president during the time of the Chase controversies said Tuesday: “I think people are all entitled to learn from their mistakes and go on from there-as long as they admit they made a mistake. That gives you faith they will try to do better and differently the next time. I can’t say I was in contact with her, and perhaps that occurred, but not that I ever witnessed.”
Lake Forest school officials initially fired Chase last June amid the allegations over her simultaneous work as a consultant and for District 67. But Chase, who had worked in the district for 20 years, challenged the move and in September reached an agreement with the district under which she resigned.
“When we talked about her resignation, we agreed that it was in our mutual best interest that she have an opportunity to pursue other interests,” Jones said.
He added, however, “to my knowledge, there were no agreements struck relative to the issues surrounding her removal from the principal position. If asked about the situation related to the principalship, I would have to say she was removed.”
George Breidenthal, Kansas City School Board president, said that the panel hired Chase on the recommendations of an administrative committee.
Referring to her Lake Forest problems, he said, “I’m not concerned. I would be much more concerned if it were a child molestation matter.”
Chase told him that she was exonerated of any wrongdoing when he questioned her about the matter recently, he said.
“At this point I have to believe what Linda tells me,” he said.
Breidenthal said when he asked Chase why she wanted the Kansas City position before she was hired, she told him simply that she wanted a new start.
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