Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200 is paying former particular schooling trainer Anthony Clark $25,000 to resign.
Clark, who had taught at Oak Park and River Forest High School since 2012, resigned from his educating place final month as a part of a deal that was unanimously permitted Dec. 19 by the college board and went into impact final month on the finish of the semester.
Although Clark acquired his final paycheck on Dec. 27, the settlement, obtained by way of a public data request, states that the district can pay Clark one other $25,000 on Jan. 25 and that by accepting that cost, Clark acknowledges that it’s a full and remaining settlement of any claims you might have in opposition to the college.
The settlement additionally gives that, in gentle of Clark’s resignation, the board “is not going to undertake any additional discharge proceedings” with respect to Clark.
School officers declined to substantiate or deny whether or not discharge proceedings had begun in opposition to Clark or to say why they paid him $25,000 to resign, saying they’d not touch upon personnel issues. The settlement alluded to Clark’s “employment actions” on Nov. 19 and 20, however neither Clark nor district officers elaborated on what occurred on these days.
When faculty board President Tom Cofsky was requested if Clark had been on administrative go away previous to his resignation, he indicated that it could not be uncommon if he had been positioned on go away earlier than the settlement was reached.
“When issues occur it isn’t atypical for folks to be on go away, if there’s some investigation or one thing happening,” Cofsky mentioned.
School board candidate Nate Mellman accused Clark of constructing anti-Semitic posts on social media, however that apparently performed no direct function in his resignation.
“The solely factor I can let you know is that it has nothing to do with the tweets from final 12 months,” mentioned Karin Sullivan, the college district’s government director of communications.
The resignation settlement prevents Clark, an OPRF graduate, from ever searching for employment on the faculty once more. It additionally states that Clark “should refer all requests for references from potential employers to the Human Resources Council’s Chief Administrative Officer, who will probably be required to reply confirming solely his interval of employment and positions with the Council, besides to the extent required by regulation.”
In a ready assertion, Clark mentioned he appreciates “this neighborhood for offering the area and alternative for somebody like me to contribute and try to make a distinction.”
“My time at OPRF was transformative,” he mentioned. “I’ve achieved a lot and have had the privilege of working alongside wonderful colleagues and much more unbelievable college students. To these college students, each previous and current – particularly those that are not with us – you might be ceaselessly in my coronary heart. For those that are nonetheless right here, know that I really like you and hope that your lives are full of achievement and function.
Clark was an activist all through his time at OPRF. He ran unsuccessfully for Congress within the Democratic major in opposition to incumbent Danny Davis in 2018 and 2020. In 2021 Clark ran for a seat on the Oak Park Village board of trustees, ending sixth out of six candidates however receiving 4,961 votes .
At OPRF Clark was a particular schooling trainer who co-taught historical past classes. He was the school sponsor of the boxing membership and based the college’s hip hop membership and comedy membership. In 2019, Clark helped manage a scholar walkout to protest police violence, in keeping with printed reviews. In 2016, Clark based the Suburban Unity Alliance. He additionally organized an anti-racism march that drew about 100 folks to march from Oak Park to Forest Park in 2016. Clark additionally helped create the annual Juneteenth celebration in Oak Park. In 2017, he was interviewed on radio and tv about hate speech after a scholar threw a swastika at an OPRF meeting, and racist graffiti focusing on Clark was discovered on the OPRF campus. At the time, Clark spoke out in opposition to all types of hatred, together with anti-Semitism.
“I do know that anti-Semitism is one other type of hatred and oppression,” Clark mentioned throughout a 2018 radio interview. “I’ll help my Jewish brothers and sisters and assist them as a result of I do know that although they could be attacked in the present day, I I will be attacked as a black male tomorrow, and vice versa.”
But over the previous 12 months Clark has made a collection of controversial posts, together with tweeting that the coed who threw the swastika was Jewish. Oak Park Rabbi Max Weiss, who assisted the coed after he was recognized, mentioned the coed who threw the swastika will not be Jewish.
Bob Skolnik is a contract reporter for Pioneer Press.
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