The Forest Ridge Elementary School District 142 Board of Education approved a resolution of censure against board member Roxana Agler Tuesday.
The conditions of that censure include: rescinding Agler’s district email privileges, preventing her from attending school-sponsored events as a Board of education member and removing her from district committee work, according to school board President Gerard Curran.
In a statement before reading the censure motion, Curran said the board’s decision came after months of ongoing communication issues among board members. As a result of those issues, the board adopted policies earlier this year that outlined consequences for inappropriate conduct, he said.
“Shortly after, Mrs. Agler violated the agreements by sending inappropriate emails from her D142 email account,” Curran stated. “These included unsubstantiated allegations against board members of the PTA and intimidation of the Board of Education.”
Curran said the board has acted over the past year in coordination with the Illinois Association of School Boards.
The public comment portion Tuesday’s board meeting was somewhat raucous, involving heated comments directed at Agler and others in attendance. The board meetings Tuesday and April 19 have also been the subject of YouTube videos and Facebook pages.
Agler said in an interview following Tuesday’s meeting that she does not see her actions as violating board policy, and that other board members — including the board president — have violated the same policies for which she is being censured. She added that she believes she is being targeted by members of the school board and PTA board that do not agree with her.
Agler added that she has sent emails to the IASB regarding those issues, but that the response she received has been insufficient and that she has yet to receive an email response from the National Association of School Boards.
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Melissa Crim, District 142 PTA president who spoke out against Agler during the April 19 board meeting, said after Tuesday’s meeting that she supported the board’s decision to censure Agler.
David Lipowski is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.