The O’Fallon, Illinois, School District 90 board announced Tuesday night that it has “taken appropriate disciplinary action” in response to an administrator's son being hired as a custodian despite a pending felony assault charge.
The board president made the announcement at a meeting but declined to provide specifics about the discipline.
The district also declined to publicly release the findings of an independent investigation conducted by a DuQuoin, Illinois-based law firm that was brought in to review the hiring.
“The district is extremely limited in the information that can be released regarding personnel issues,” board President Becky Drury said in a prepared statement.
Drury previously told parents and others at a May meeting that the district would provide the report’s conclusions to the public.
On Tuesday, she said the investigation found no information beyond what school board members had already known. She also said the district adopted policy changes regarding the process of onboarding new employees “to ensure that this does not occur again.”
The Oklahoma charge
Christian Wills, the 24-year-old son of District 90 Assistant Superintendent Joi Wills, pleaded not guilty in February to one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in Cherokee County, Oklahoma.
Police said Wills approached the apartment of another man late on Jan. 8. When the man did not recognize Wills, he grabbed a firearm. The man thought Wills did the same, and he shot Wills in the leg. Wills returned fire before leaving the scene, according to an affidavit.
Police arrested Wills on Jan. 9, and his mother posted $5,000 bond on Jan. 10, according to court documents. His next court appearance is slated for Wednesday.
Joi Wills declined to comment after the board meeting Tuesday.
The school board approved hiring Wills at Marie Schaefer Elementary School as a custodian at its March meeting, according to an agenda, which states Wills started work on Feb. 28.
Wills previously worked as a custodian for the district in 2018.
He texted the district’s director of facilities on April 19 that he was resigning, according to district documents. “At this time, I have a need to pursue other work opportunities that will allow me to secure a role more aligned with my educational background,” he wrote.
On May 1, District 90 Superintendent Carrie Hruby wrote to the parents of Marie Schaefer students about “a matter that has received rumors recently.” In the email, also signed by the school’s principal, Dan Rudy, the administrators told parents that a former custodian had been hired and that a background check missed the Oklahoma arrest.
“The Superintendent and Board of Education investigated the matter and took steps to ensure it does not occur again,” the email said. “Any further information cannot be disclosed due to the fact that it is a personnel matter. We take the safety and security of students and staff very seriously.”
However, the following day, May 2, the school board held an emergency meeting to address the situation, where a number of parents spoke out in frustration regarding Wills’ hiring. Others publicly supported Joi Wills, saying she should not be held responsible for her son.
Shortly after that meeting, the board announced it would hire an independent investigator to look into whether a proper background check was conducted on Wills and the circumstances around his hiring.
When district employees are first hired, Hruby said in email to a parent on May 5, a fingerprint-based background check is conducted as well as a check of the Illinois sex offender registry.
“When there is a break in service and an employee returns, the district has then used the Illinois State Police registry to recheck individuals,” Hruby wrote. “That practice has recently been revised. Going forward the district will conduct an additional fingerprint background check to employees who have had a break in service.”
Sarah Swatosh, a St. Louis-based employment lawyer who doesn’t have a connection to the district, said not running a background check every time someone is hired likely violated state law. According to the state statute, applicants “are required as a condition of employment to authorize” a fingerprint check.
Community reaction
The situation has produced strong feelings from parents and district employees.
At the early May meeting, some parents asked that Joi Wills resign or the district fire her. They said she’d abused her power as an administrator and put students and teachers in harm's way.
But others came to her defense, alleging that she’d been targeted in the community and online before all the facts were known because she is a Black woman.
Terry Rogers, a parent in the district and part-time employee, voiced her support for Wills at another district meeting on May 16, telling the school board and the packed room that the assistant superintendent had served the district well.
“This woman has given grace to so many people that didn't deserve it,” Rogers said in an interview. “I think it's her turn to get some of that grace given back to her.”
No one from the public spoke Tuesday night after the board announcement. But earlier this month, one parent criticized the board and school administrators for not providing better communication to parents about the situation.
Alyssa Ruopp, another O’Fallon resident, said she’s found the whole situation frustrating.
“It's the responsibility of the school board when something occurs that shouldn't have happened, and affects our kids, that they should be transparent about it,” she said in an interview.
Ruopp, who grew up in the area and moved back with her husband and two children, said she’s considering private school because of the incident.
“My trust has been shaken, and I'm not sure what they can do to restore it,” she said.
