Teacher files lawsuit against District 205, LaVonne Sheffield
By Jim Hagerty
Online Editor
A local teacher filed a federal lawsuit against Rockford Public School District 205 and Superintendent Dr. LaVonne M. Sheffield Monday, April 25.
According to the three-count suit, Shannon Symonds, who taught in the district from 2006 to 2010, was the victim of retaliation and First Amendment violations.
Symonds was terminated last March along with 600 non-tenured teachers. After learning she was being let-go, she interviewed for and was promised another position within the district.
However, Symonds alleges, she was not rehired because reported an incident during which she was physically assaulted by a student. It was not until the teachers union interceded was she permitted to receive medical attention, the complaint alleges. Symonds also began speaking publicly about her unhappiness with the district’s hiring practices.
“Instead of being rehired, she was denied every opportunity while many less qualified and experienced teachers were hired,” Symonds’ attorney, Dan McGrail, said.
Count I and II of the complaint allege that the district and Sheffield violated Symonds’ right to speak freely.
“Shannon has essentially been blacklisted by the Sheffield Administration for exercising her First Amendment rights relating to reporting criminal conduct by a student, and for speaking out against injustices in the administration’s hiring practices,” McGrail said.
The suit also claims the decision not to rehire Symonds was a retaliatory measure that caused her economic and non-economic hardships.
Symonds now teaches in Freeport. Her last position with District 205 was at McIntosh Elementary School.
As for damages, Symonds had no comment. She did say that she hopes incoming school board members will provide some assistance in resolving the case.
“I have every hope that the new board will settle this matter,” Symonds said.
Attempts to reach District 205 officials and Dr. LaVonne Sheffield were unsuccessful Monday, April 25.
As of this report, it was not known when Symonds and representatives from the district are scheduled to appear in court.
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4 Comments
She’s a litigious piece of work. Crap like this needs to stop. Sounds like someone’s got her number.
Once again, Haggerty and TRRT has the story out there before the competition. It’s obvious where to go for up-to-the-minute reporting. Taxpayer money is/will be used to settle/defend this case and similar ones like it. People need to speak out against district 205 practices that facilitate this retalitory behavior.
Peaches, you have NO idea what you are talking about!! Teachers are attacked by students EVERY DAY in 205 but are prevented from reporting the attacks and/or seeking medical assistance by SHEFFIELD and her staff. I am SO happy she is leaving. Now maybe the students will be held accountable for their actions (along w/their parents)and criminal charges elicted. These VIOLENT students NEED to be arrested and charged so that the rest of the students and staff can be safe OR they need to be placed in the appropriate alternative schools!!!
I taught in Rockford at West Middle School (shudder) 3 years ago. God. Bomb threats every few days evacuations of the schools, kids taunting and harrassing teachers, threats of violence, fights…I’m not at all surprised to hear a teacher was attacked. I imagine it happened while I was there but was hushed up.
I’ve worked in several districts during my career, but have never seen anything to compare to Rockford. I’ve been following the Sheffield story and want to congratulate you all for taking ahold of the situation.
A parent on the FB page asked what parents could do, besides the normal see that they get enough sleep, etc. Here’s what to do –visit the school. Find out what’s really going on. When I was there, it was impossible to teach; students ran wild. Parents usually had no idea.
And second, stand up for teachers. The biggest problem teachers have is administrators who are scared of parents and therefore allow NO negative consequences. (They call it “positive discipline.”) Administrators always side with the parents, and it is common for a teacher to be called in at the spur of the moment, only to be shouted down by an angry parent while the administrator cautions her not to respond.
Schools are extremely political, so God help us if merit pay goes through. The new, young, maleable teachers who religiously follow every fad will be the highest paid, while the veterans who inadvertendly hurt little Keisha’s feelings by speaking in a stern voice will be stuck with low evals AND low pay.
Good luck, Rockford. And don’t forget to check and see if your child’s teacher is silently putting up with administrative abuse so she won’t lose her job.