The new technology director hired July 23 by the Lyons-Brookfield Elementary District 103 Board of Education has a work history different than the one described on a resume he provided to the school district.
The district hired John Williamsen, of Steger, for the technology director position, which was vacated recently by Bryan Drozd, who held the job for the past eight years.
Williamsen was fired for cause in June 2014 by the Fairmont School District 89 in Lockport, according to online board documents.
But the resume submitted to District 103, and which was given to the Landmark in response to a request for it — omits his time at Fairmont. Instead the resume supplied to the newspaper by the school district says º worked from “2010-present” as educational technology facilitator at Special Education Joint Agreement School District 802 (SPEED) in Chicago Heights, under supervisor Diane Gallik.
Gallik left SPEED in 2013, according to the Illinois State Board of Education records.
Reached Monday, Williamsen denied his resume left off Fairmont District 89. He said he included his time in Lockport in an online application with District 103.
Williamsen apparently left Fairmont after an employee spat and lawsuit between a superintendent and another administrator. According to online newspaper reports, the school board terminated Williamsen for refusing to turn over surveillance video to the superintendent. Lawyers claimed Superintendent Sonya Whitaker was possibly destroying evidence by hauling three large garbage bins into her office.
According to documents filed in federal court, Whitaker fired at least 18 other employees.
Williamsen said he couldn’t talk about the specifics of why he left Fairmont District 89, because the matter was “in litigation.”
Williamsen earned $59,000 at Fairmont, where he worked from August 2011 to June 2014. Williamsen’s base salary at District 103 will be $89,000.
District Interim Superintendent Kyle Hastings did not respond to emails and phone calls for comment.
Williamsen said he planned to carry the district’s one-to-one computer initiative forward.
“It’s a nice tool for teachers to have,” he said.
District 103 will also be hiring a new computer network systems administrator, because Jakob Banbor resigned in June. Banbor earned around $70,000, according to the district’s website.
