Chicago Public School system removes 2 principals amid investigation into how sexual abuse allegations handled

Simeon High School (8147 S Vincennes Ave) by Eric Allix Rogers

We've shared a few piece with regards to sexual abuse allegations within Chicago Public Schools. For our purposes we're just going to focus on the removal of the principal of nearby Simeon High School over sexual abuse allegations by a school volunteer:

Sheldon House, the principal of Simeon Career Academy, was removed amid a newly disclosed allegation of sexual abuse lodged against an unnamed school volunteer. District officials said that allegation was discovered during an audit of “systemic issues” in the school’s background check process.
...
“As a result of district-led investigations into allegations of sexual abuse, two CPS principals were removed from their positions today due to initial findings that suggest they did not effectively safeguard their students,” Chicago Public Schools CEO Janice Jackson said in a statement.

“Investigations into both cases remain ongoing, and we will keep the school communities updated as this process moves forward,” she said.

The district announced the administrators’ removal barely more than a day before a scheduled Chicago Board of Education vote to change how CPS investigates allegations of sexual misconduct by adults against students, as well as new practices that would require employees to inform child welfare authorities and supervisors of “any interactions or behaviors which suggest that an adult has or had an inappropriately intimate relationship with a child or may be grooming a child,” even if the employee does not have “reasonable suspicion” of whether any abuse occurred.
...
At Simeon, CPS officials said they launched an internal review of “management practices designed to keep students safe,” which occurred amid a Tribune investigation that documented the school’s failure to conduct a mandated criminal background check before making Gerald Gaddy an assistant coach of the boys wrestling and girls track teams starting in 2010.
...
CPS officials said the Simeon audit found “systemic issues” in the school’s handling of volunteer background checks, while uncovering an unspecified, new allegation of sexual abuse by an unidentified Simeon volunteer.

The recent allegation “was not handled in accordance with CPS policy,” according to the district. The volunteer is now barred from the school, and the allegation is under investigation.

CPS said it selected Patricia Woodson, a retired former principal, to lead the school until a new principal is selected by Simeon’s local school council.

 Hat-tip Newsalert

#NEXTGEN Youth Summit at Simeon Career Academy

 Just got this in via e-mail today.

• 21st Ward Alderman Howard B. Brookins, Jr. to Host 
  2017 #NEXTGEN Youth Summit in the South Side of Chicago
  
  2017 Youth Summit at Simeon Career Academy
  
  Chicago – On October 14, Alderman Howard B. Brookins, Jr. teams up with various organizations, schools, and community leaders to host the 2017 #NEXTGEN Youth Summit. The Youth Summit will take place at Simeon Career Academy located at 8147 S. Vincennes starting at 9:00am and ending at 4:00pm.
  
  This is the first year that Alderman Brookins will be hosting a Youth Summit in the 21st Ward. “I think it is extremely important that we as leaders and adults develop opportunities for young people to learn and get inspired to become positive productive citizens of our ward and the city,” stated 21st Ward Alderman Howard B. Brookins, Jr., Chairman of the Committee on Education and Child Development.
  
  The Youth Summit will be filled with keynote speakers, live entertainment, and workshops on career development, college readiness, health and nutrition, STEM, entrepreneurship, public speaking and art. In addition, the Youth Summit will have two panel discussions – one will focus on Government and Politics and its Effect on Young People and the other will focus on Violence in Chicago. Lastly, there will be an area where various organizations will disseminate information to all of the participants. 
  
  For additional information please contact the 21st Ward Office at 773-881-9300.

Flyer posted to our ig page.

A post shared by The Sixth Ward (@thesixthward) on Oct 13, 2017 at 10:33am PDT