PAXTON — Frustrations and concerns were expressed to the Paxton-Buckley-Loda school board Wednesday about the school district’s lack of response to the numerous claims of inappropriate touching of female students by elementary school teacher Rob Pacey, who continues to be suspended with pay amid investigations into his alleged sexual misconduct.
For a fourth time in as many months, parent Samantha Magers addressed the board, saying she continues to be appalled that the board has not taken any further action since suspending Pacey last spring. Moreover, Magers said, it is concerning that the board has communicated to the public no further information about the status of Pacey’s employment or the investigations.
“I am appalled that this board continues to sit quietly and without statement while parents and community members ask about the teacher put on leave,” Magers said. “The lack of response to these questions is extremely disheartening. There seems to be no consideration for the community and parents who are concerned — and school begins tomorrow.
A larger-than-usual crowd showed up to the Paxton-Buckley-Loda school board’s monthly meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 13, at the unit office in Paxton.
“Will he be back in his role? Can we send our kids to school with the confidence that this man will not be there? What is the status of his employment and pay? Is the community continuing to fund his salary? At this point, I don’t know the answer to any of these questions, which means neither do any other community members.”
After Wednesday’s school board meeting, the Ford County Chronicle confirmed that Pacey remains on the school district’s payroll. On the most recent payroll from July 30 — obtained Thursday via an open-records request — Pacey was listed as being employed as a teacher and paid $2,216. Meanwhile, the district has asked for an extension to respond to a separate open-records request for any documents that have resulted from the district’s self-initiated investigation. Pacey was not present at school Thursday, a source told the Chronicle.
Meanwhile, Magers told the board that she feels Pacey should no longer have a job at PBL, even though no criminal charges have been filed. Magers noted that “there’s a big difference between a criminal charge being brought by the state police and having enough internal evidence to remove him from his position.”
“Your responsibility is to the community — to protect our children and to make sure the district provides safe education,” Magers told the board. “Your responsibility is not to protect a teacher — that’s the (PBL Education Association teachers’) union’s job.”
Months ago, Magers urged the board to conduct its own investigation into the claims of sexual misconduct, which are now the focus of lawsuits filed in Ford County Circuit Court on behalf of five plaintiffs against the school district, Pacey and three current or former administrators who allegedly failed to properly address the allegations.
“Will the board and administration ever look into this issue?” Magers asked. “Is there an internal, all-encompassing investigation under way? If I were a member of this school board, I would want to know every single bit of information that I could about this entire situation — and I would have wanted to know it about eight months ago. If you are a school board member and you have not seen the personnel file regarding these allegations, I urge you to take a moment and ask yourself why you haven’t seen that file. Ask yourselves who is telling you that it is ‘normal’ to not investigate an employee who has allegations against him. Ask yourselves who is stifling you and your desire to find out the facts.”
Magers provided board members with 119 pages of documents related to complaints about Pacey.
“As you make your way through this document, you will find that there are many examples of times where students made complaints to staff or administration and action should have been taken, and I am suspicious that there are just as many or more complaints that are not in these pages,” Magers told the board. “The community who voted you in is begging you to look into this further. Can we count on you?”
Later in the meeting, area resident Jackie Weber addressed the board.
“My opinion is that if the teacher’s name was not Pacey, he would not still be getting paid,” Weber said. “I know that Rob Pacey has rights and … he’s protected by the union, but you guys are (elected to the school board) to protect the kids. Somebody in this room needs to get a backbone and make a decision to protect the children. It doesn’t matter what his last name is. Someone needs a backbone.”
The board made no public comments on the situation.
Pacey, a STEM and technology teacher at Clara Peterson Elementary School and former head PBL Junior High School cross-country and girls’ track coach, has denied any wrongdoing.
The school board’s next regularly scheduled monthly meeting is at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 17, in the board room in the administrative office in Paxton. It is open to the public.