Ex-suburban school official claims she was wrongfully terminated

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Liz Wong, filed a federal Whistleblower law suit

Updated: October 19, 2011 5:58PM

A former assistant principal charges in a federal lawsuit that she was fired by a school district in the northwest suburbs for reporting her supervisor’s alleged alcohol problems — including drinking during work hours, sexual harassment and an inability to carry out his duties.

In her suit filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court, plaintiff Elizabeth Wong of Schaumburg accuses Community Consolidated School District 15 Supt. Scott Thompson and several staff of violating the Illinois Whistleblower Act.

Edward Nelson, then principal of Sandburg Junior High in Rolling Meadows — the supervisor whom Wong charges in her suit “had a substance abuse problem with alcoholic liquor” and whose behavior she reported to officials — did not answer phone calls to his home. He retired in June.

Thompson declined comment on the suit.

“I really can’t comment on personnel matters and pending litigation,” Thompson said.

Wong began working at Sandburg in July 2008, and according to the suit, “became aware” of the alleged problems with her boss, whose “impairment reached the point that plaintiff was required to perform many of his duties,” and her boss also “was sexually harassing female employees.”

She reported him to officials twice in February 2010, and met with officials about him in March 2010.

But instead of addressing the problem, Wong was asked to report future incidents to officials, the suit says. In May 2010, her boss, aware of her reports, began subjecting her to intimidation, and shortly after, the suit charges, she was involuntarily transferred to a new school and her salary reduced.

In November 2010, Thompson, who was new on the job, “falsely accused plaintiff of failing to take action to protect the students from the danger to them caused by [her boss’] misconduct,” and when she produced evidence of her reports, she was accused of not acting quickly enough, the suit says.

Meanwhile, the suit claims Wong’s new boss began harassing her, ending with Wong’s firing in March. The district allegedly thwarted her employment elsewhere, the suit says.

“In my 21 years in education, I’d always received ‘excellent’ or ‘exceeds’ ratings for job performance, including an ‘exceeds’ rating from District 15 last year,” Wong said in an interview. “I believe the real reason I was released clearly is linked to what I reported during the 2009-2010 school year.”