A Naperville District 203 School Board member censured earlier this month for conduct detrimental to the district emphatically denied the allegations outlined in the school board’s 10-page report, saying they are vague, false and misleading.
Melissa Kelley Black said she wants the board to publicly post its evidence on the district’s website, where the resolution outlines its grievances against her.
“It’s hard to defend something you didn’t do,” Kelley Black said in an interview with the Naperville Sun. “They’ve made serious accusations that embarrassed our community and scared our parents.”
Her credibility was taken away when the board voted 6-1 on Jan. 7 to approve the censure resolution, said Kelley Black, who cast the sole dissenting vote.
“I can’t express the hurt it’s done to me to think I’ve put myself out there for the community,” she said. “This is pretty dire what they did to me, but yet they can only just accuse me and I’m guilty? That shouldn’t be the process for anybody.”
According to the resolution, Kelley Black violated the board’s policies, the Illinois Association of School Board’s code of conduct and principles of ethics in the nearly two-year span since she was first elected in April 2023.
The censure cited Kelley Black’s “unprofessional” and “detrimental” actions, accusing her of disclosing private student information, spreading false information and releasing collective bargaining details. She also allegedly disparaged the board and administration and improperly used her board membership with regard to her child, who attends a district school.
The board conducted six self-evaluations with her and a representative from the IASB starting in June 2023 and issued two private letters asking her to stop violating board policies, the resolution said. The letters were issued Dec. 15, 2023, and June 16, 2024, the resolution states.
Kelley Black said she asked for those letters to be publicly released when they were issued but was denied.
“I’m a proponent of transparency, and I knew that I hadn’t done anything,” she said.
School Board President Kristine Gericke said in a statement the board took the “very serious step of a censure” after 20 months of private efforts to correct Kelley Black’s behavior. The district’s attorney was present for additional counsel and guidance, Gericke said.
Student achievement is the board’s goal, and it relies on board agreements, policies, its oath and code of conduct to guide its efforts, she said.
The board decided that a public censure was the next step after consulting with its attorney, the DuPage County Regional Office of Education, the DuPage County state’s attorney and the IASB, she said. Kelley Black was present for all but one of the self-evaluation sessions, which she chose not to attend, and was provided numerous opportunities to speak to the board’s concerns, Gericke said.
“The board fully recognizes the seriousness of a public censure. This step was not taken lightly,” she said in her statement.
Gericke said the board is “not at this time seeking the removal of Member Kelley Black and we hope not to be placed in that position by her.”
“It is truly up to Member Kelley Black to appreciate her duties as a board member and adhere to her legal obligations. More importantly it is absurd to assert that the board is motivated by politics in this censure action. The record directly contradicts such an assertion as our documented efforts date back to over 20 months ago. Again, we are focused on our mission to ensure student success.”
District documents revealed
The Naperville Sun filed a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain documents the board used in supporting the censure resolution, which included Facebook posts, emails, letters sent to Kelley Black and letters sent to the DuPage County Regional Board of Education. Some identifiable information was redacted in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act laws.
In a letter summarizing the board’s Dec. 4, 2023, closed session meeting, board members addressed concerns that Kelley Black was sharing confidential information acquired in closed sessions with the community. The board reviewed Kelley Black’s Facebook posts and expressed that disparaging communications outside of meetings negatively impacted the reputation of the board and its ability to govern, the letter said.
It further states that Kelley Black violated the board member oath of conduct by representing herself as a board member in the Naperville Central High School Parents Facebook Group. It says she shared confidential information about board operations and finances, stated that her personal opinions were not reflected in the decision by the board, pressured the board with community upset to further a personal agenda and failed to strive for a positive working relationship with the superintendent.
In a letter dated April 15, 2024, to the DuPage County Regional Office of Education, the board asks for the office’s assistance for multiple and ongoing violations.
“While the board has sought to address Member Kelley Black’s misconduct issues internally over the past several months through numerous self-evaluations, mentoring discussions and trainings, Member Kelley Black has failed to correct her conduct and her conduct is causing substantial harm to the board and its members, the district and its superintendent,” the letter states.
Among the Facebook posts the board references to the office of education include Kelley Black posting about the district’s funding of mental health services.
“Member Kelley Black stated that she was ‘very frustrated when people play political games or disrupt progress with their own personal agenda,’ implying that other board members were not acting in accordance with their fiduciary duties and in the best interests of the district’s students, staff members and community on an issue of significant concern,” the letter said.
Regarding the district’s scheduling of classes, funding and board meetings, Kelley Black posted on Facebook “we do not pay competitive wages which is a shame since we are sitting on a large amount of extra money.” Kelley Black is also to have posted that the district has “a lack of support staff” and “the school district struggles to retain and hire support staff.”
The district’s letter to the Regional Office of Education states that false statements as it relates to the district’s funding and personnel were harmful in ongoing staffing and collective bargaining negotiations.
The letter also states that Kelley Black put the district at risk of violating the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
In an email to Kelley Black on May 5, 2024, Gericke advises her that she should not use her role as board member for personal gain.
“Your use of references to your board role in dealing with district staff has an intimidating impact on staff, conveying that your board member role is relevant and that you are entitled to favorable treatment,” Gericke wrote. “… District staff should not have to be concerned with whether your role as a board member will have any impact on the performance of their duties.”
In a letter following the June 3, 2024, self-evaluation meeting, it alleges that Kelley Black uses a Facebook account to communicate in a manner that is unprofessional, violative of her fiduciary duties and contrary to the best interests of the district, which has caused confusion and concern among the community, the district and the board.
In another instance, a vendor used by the district emailed district administration to say that Kelley Black appeared to be speaking to them on behalf of the district, particularly Superintendent Dan Bridges.
Kelley Black responds
Kelley Black denied the claims outlined in the board’s censure.
In regards to the charge that she made disparaging comments about the board, she said the board’s reaction was subjective. She has “learned a hard lesson about politics,” she said.
She believes she is being targeted for asking questions at board meetings and asking to have information in writing, she said. The budget is a “huge concern” for her, she said.
Anything that she wrote on social media reflected things that were already discussed during a public board meeting, Kelley Black said. A board should have varying viewpoints and ask questions on behalf of its constituents, she said.
“If I have a belief, I’ve already stated it in an open meeting,” she said. “It’s already common knowledge.”
Kelley Black said she encourages residents to check out her Facebook page, which is public.
However, a series of her Facebook posts state, “This content isn’t available right now. When this happens, it’s usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it’s been deleted.”
Kelley Black expressed surprise when notified of those status updates. In some cases, she said, she shared a status update of someone else and the original author deleted their posts. She added she is not technologically savvy in regards to social media.
Kelley Black said she believes one of the more serious comments cited in the censure resolution involves disclosing private information about a student. The resolution states that the board held its second self-evaluation with Kelley Black on Nov. 1, 2023, after she released closed session information about a student on social media.
“If they are claiming that last November (2023) I was doing such egregious behaviors, why would they not take that to the authorities, the state’s attorney or whoever, and have them investigate and bring charges against me,” Kelley Black said. “For this to be investigated, I would be held accountable. They censured me, which essentially does nothing. It only serves to publicly humiliate me.”
She said she finds the allegation that she revealed a student’s information the most disturbing, adding there should be zero tolerance for any board member who betrays a student’s confidentiality.
“I can’t blame parents who read this to think they can’t trust me, so there’s been a lot of damage done by this,” Kelley Black said. “So if I lied (and) compromised the well-being of the students, back then they should have investigated me. Instead they call six IASB meetings.”
She said she believes the meetings were to build a paper trail against her and create a “false narrative.”
When she decided to run for the school board, it was as a former educator, Kelley Black said. She attended community events, paid to attend conferences, received mentoring from other school districts and sought advice on how to be an effective board member.
“I’m not a politician. I love education. I am so excited to help our kids. This is why I do it,” she said. “They’ve taken away my credibility. This isn’t what I want. This isn’t how the process should work. You don’t accuse somebody of something.”
She said she plans to continue to do her job as a school board member and believes she can work with the board. Residents have thanked her for asking hard questions, she said.
“I did not do anything wrong,” she said. “As a matter of fact, I got in trouble for trying to do my job. So I am going to continue to do my job with the best interest of the constituents. I’m not going to be bullied. … I’m not going to keep quiet. You will all be watching me, I expect, so I’m OK with that and I’m going to keep doing my job.”
Beyond that, though, Kelley Black said she believes the censure hurts the community.
“It overshadows all the good being done by our students, our staff and all the people that support our schools,” she said. “We now are a joke, so was this censure the best interest of our community? Did it serve our community well or did it serve some people well?”
Michelle Mullins is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
