DOLTON, Ill. — A lawsuit on behalf of a suburban school administrator claims that the district retaliated against her for raising concerns over the alleged misuse of school funds.
Dr. Sonya Whitaker, deputy superintendent of Dolton West School District 148, asserts that officials tried to discredit her by damaging her reputation.
“I did what all my training told me to do. I followed the process,” Whitaker said Thursday, joined by her legal team and other community leaders at the headquarters of Rainbow Push Coalition.
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The lawsuit against the district’s superintendent and Board of Education for retaliation and racial discrimination comes after Whitaker questioned the alleged mismanagement of public funds.
“It’s about $13 million of federal emergency response money that there were questions of how it was allocated,” said Todd Yeary, Whitaker’s attorney.
Whitaker, who had been with the district for five years, claims that she made numerous attempts to contact the superintendent and the school board to arrange a meeting and discuss the issue. Her requests were allegedly unanswered, however.
The complaint also stated that Whitaker was kept in the dark about important meetings and decision-making processes prior to being suspended with pay in July.
“When that leave expired, they said nothing to her, except leave her in the dark,” Yeary said.
The lawsuit alleges that the district did not follow board policy regarding suspension, failing to provide proper notice and due process. The complaint also stated that beginning Sept. 5, Whitaker began serving a suspension without pay.
The decision was made at a public board meeting, followed by public accusations of misconduct against her.
“One of the allegations against Dr. Whitaker in the suspension without pay hearing is that she withheld school district property, which she could never meet with the superintendent to turn it over, and that she owed the school district; actually accused her of theft,” Yeary said.
According to the lawsuit, Whitaker experiences emotional distress, in addition to loss of income and damage to her professional reputation. Despite these challenges, her legal team claims she is still committed to returning to the district, thus continuing her dedication to the students.
“Who is going to advocate and fight on behalf of the children?” Whitaker asked. “Who is willing to stand on the right side of the law?”
A public hearing to consider Whitaker’s termination is set for later this month
WGN contacted the district and board for comment. In response, Board of Education president Larry Lawrence said:
Dolton West School District 148 is committed to being a place where teaching and learning happen in a safe and respectful environment, free from harassment or discrimination of any kind. We hold ourselves to a high standard of excellence and accountability in our stewardship of taxpayer resources. In fact, Dolton West School District 148 was one of 46 Illinois districts recently recognized by the Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB) for its work in learning and practicing effective governance behaviors.
The District intends to fully defend itself against the false and malicious allegations presented by Deputy Superintendent Dr. Sonya L. Whitaker at a news conference today. District 148 takes all complaints and allegations seriously. Throughout her five-year tenure at District 148, Dr. Whitaker has made no formal complaints to the superintendent or the Board regarding either her working conditions or the District’s use of funds. In fact, the funds that she alleges were misused have actually been under her jurisdiction throughout her tenure.
The facts are this:
· Dr. Whitaker has been on administrative leave with pay since July 1, 2024 following multiple complaints filed by District 148 employees alleging that she harassed and/or bullied them. An investigation conducted by the District’s law firm confirmed these complaints.
· Following a public hearing last week, conducted by an independent hearing officer who is a retired appellate court judge, the Board of Education voted to transition Dr. Whitaker to unpaid administrative leave.
· A public hearing will be held on September 23 and 24, 2024 to determine whether Dr. Whitaker will be terminated.”
Larry Lawrence, Dolton West 148 Board of Education president