An administrator slated to begin working this summer in Oswego-based School District 308 resigned after district officials became aware he was previously disciplined over a Facebook post, officials said.
Anthony Grazzini was found in February by his current school district in Cicero to have made an “unprofessional” Facebook post, documents obtained by the Beacon-News show. He met with District 308 administrators Tuesday afternoon and resigned before starting in the Oswego post, district spokeswoman Theresa Komitas said.
Grazzini, currently assistant superintendent of human resources in Cicero School District 99, had been slated to begin working July 1 as District 308’s executive director of human resources. Grazzini’s base salary in District 308 was set at $120,000, according to a copy of his contract.
In early February, Grazzini was called to a meeting with the Cicero superintendent and school board attorney to investigate a Feb. 2 incident involving a Facebook post described as “unprofessional,” documents obtained by the Beacon-News show. Ten days later, he received a notice summarizing what was determined in the meeting: he had been presented with the Facebook post and admitted to posting it, his Facebook profile included information about his job with the district and he was Facebook friends with other district employees, according to the documents.
The notice stated Grazzini’s actions amounted to “misconduct” and violated a district board policy on ethics and conduct “for failing to maintain high standards in your school relationships, failing to demonstrate integrity, failing to maintain professional relationships with others and failing to follow the Code of Ethics for Illinois Educators by failing to demonstrate a high level of professional judgment.” His failure to demonstrate high integrity also violated his employment contract, according to the documents.
As discipline, Grazzini was to have a letter placed in his personnel file and he was to be reassigned, documents show.
In March, Grazzini was notified his contract would not be renewed and his term as assistant superintendent for human resources would end June 30. He would be reassigned for the 2018-19 school year, documents show.
Grazzini could not be reached for comment Tuesday. Cicero school district officials did not respond to requests for comment.
District 308 school board members approved Grazzini’s hire in May. When contacted this week by a Beacon-News reporter, Komitas said district officials were not aware Grazzini had faced discipline, but would look into the allegations.
District officials later met with Grazzini and he voluntarily resigned, Komitas said. Their meeting took place within hours of the district learning he had previously faced discipline, and he never began work in the district, she said.
“He made a personal decision to resign the position,” she said. “And that’s kind of where that ends for us.”
District 308’s hiring process for a leadership position includes online research, reference checks and calls to a candidate’s current employer, Komitas said. The district took each of those steps while hiring Grazzini, she said.
In District 308, employees’ social media posts would be governed by a board policy on personal technology and social media use, Komitas said. The policy addresses employees’ communication with students and parents and sharing information about students, and it calls on employees to “adhere to the high standards for appropriate school relationships” defined in an ethics policy. That includes postings involving images or private information that are accessible by students or other employees and defined by other policies as “inappropriate,” according to a copy of the policy posted online.
District 308 will begin a new search for a candidate to replace the outgoing executive director of human resources, who is leaving to take a similar role in another district, Komitas said.
