This letter is in response to a recent article published in the Urbana Daily Citizen. The article that was published on the front page referenced the fact that the deadline for Mrs. McCall-Fasse’s appeal had passed. The original decision rendered by Judge Sevalgio [sic] to deny the appeal of wrongful termination of Mrs. McCall-Fasse by the Urbana City Schools Board of Education was published in this article.

The timing of this article seems to be a little odd. The deadline for the appeal of Judge Sevalgio’s decision was actually in January. Why did the Urbana Daily Citizen choose to publish this story almost three months after the deadline? What motivated your reporter to write this story now?

Is this politically motivated?

A teacher, of 19 years with outstanding service given to her community, and her family have been through hell! All she did was stand up for her students, herself and her fellow teachers against an administration who was not always supportive, compassionate, or caring.

Please tell me why the Urbana Daily Citizen did not publish the more than thirty items that Mr. Thiel failed to do when considering what action to take concerning Mrs. McCall-Fasse listed by the professsional [sic] referee?

It is mind-boggling to me that a career was damaged because of a 3-2 vote by the board of education.

I honestly believe that had Warren Stevens not been taken from us Mrs. McCall-Fasse would still be in the classroom where she belongs. Mr. Stevens had been working with Mrs. McCall-Fasse about her concerns and communicating with Mr. Thiel about the issues with the principal at North Elementary.

The school board at that time was never given the surveys that were filled out by the teachers at North because the Superintendent threw them away because the teachers did not sign the surveys. The teachers did not sign the surveys because of fear of retaliation! This survey would have demonstrated the problems that were occurring at North Elementary and in doing so maybe this whole situation could have been avoided.

I also want to point out that before the school board voted to terminate Mrs. McCall-Fasse, we held an executive session in which one board member fled the session, before it was adjourned, and went into another room where the board member asked the people if they had money for bail. To me, this was a threat to myself and another board member, but no one made us aware of this statement. That board member voted to terminate Mrs. McCall-Fasse for venting her frustration even though she had just done the same thing! In September of 2018 I e-mailed Mr. Thiel that I would like to know the process for filing a complaint and told him about the situation. He said it was something he needed to confer with his legal team and would get back to me. It is April of 2019 and he still has not given me any information.

Please remember that no criminal charges have ever been filed! This was just a vindictive, arbitrary, and capricious act by Mr. Thiel and three board members!

Jack Beard

Urbana