UNION CALLS FOR REMOVAL OF WESTERN SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER

BARRY, Ill. — A teachers union representing employees in the Western Community Unit School District is asking a longtime School Board member to resign and is calling on the board to consider formally seeking his removal from office.

The Western Education Association has filed a uniform grievance accusing Board Secretary James Broeckling of violating district policies governing board member conduct.

Athena LaReau, an Illinois Education Association UniServ Director speaking on behalf of the Western Education Association, presented the union’s concerns during a special School Board meeting Monday night.

The union alleges Broeckling has engaged in a pattern of behavior involving bullying or intimidation of staff, breaches of confidentiality, unprofessional conduct and favorable treatment involving members of his family.

Those claims are allegations contained in the union’s grievance and have not been established as findings of fact.

Broeckling, who has served on the Western School Board for approximately 12 years and currently serves as board secretary, declined to comment on the record regarding the union’s accusations. His current seat is scheduled to be up for election in 2027.

The union is asking Broeckling to resign. If he does not, it wants the remaining board members to publicly censure him and ask the Regional Superintendent of Schools to consider removing him from office.

Western Superintendent Darin Powell said board members discussed the union’s concerns at length during Monday’s special meeting and directed him to place an actionable item addressing the matter on the agenda for the board’s regular August 19 meeting.

Removing an elected School Board member is not a step the Western board can take on its own.

Board Attorney David Penn explained that under district policy, if a majority of the board determines a member has willfully failed to perform official duties, the board may ask the Regional Superintendent of Schools to remove that member. The ultimate authority in those limited circumstances rests with the regional office rather than the local board.

Regional Superintendent Jill Reis said formal efforts to remove a School Board member are rare. Reis said she has not dealt with a formal removal action locally since taking office in 2015.

The union’s grievance normally would trigger an investigation under the district’s uniform grievance procedure. Because the allegations involve a sitting board member, district officials said an outside investigator could be needed to avoid a conflict of interest.

Under district policy, investigations involving board members generally include a written report followed by a written board decision. However, the union and the district’s attorney have agreed to temporarily pause the normal investigation timeline.

LaReau said the union hopes that pause will allow the issue to be resolved without requiring the district to spend money hiring an outside investigator.

The Western Board of Education is expected to take up the matter again during its regular meeting on August 19.