To the Washington Local Schools Board of Education:

Former Washington Local Schools Superintendent Patrick Hickey has been elected onto the Board of Education. Hickey resigned in December 2015 amid allegations of misconduct, including inappropriate relationships with staff, subsequent harassment, and intimidation. He was banned from district property in February 2016 due to his harassment of a referee and administrators at a basketball game. He is also alleged to have had sexual relationships with students while he taught at Addison High School. For the safety of Washington Local staff and students, we urge current and future board members to keep Hickey banned from entering district property, aside from the Lincolnshire Administration Building.

Allegations of Hickey’s misconduct while at Washington Local Schools include but are not limited to:

Engaging in inappropriate emotional and/or sexual relationships with several staff members

Receiving inappropriate pictures/videos from staff

Contacting a female staff member after she requested multiple times to be left alone

Jogging past the house of staff members who filed a complaint against him

Falsely stating his reason for resigning from Addison Schools when applying for WLS employment (Listing “Relocation of wife” and omitting allegations of relationships with students)

Disregarding — numerous times — the directive in his September 2015 letter of reprimand to “never make comments or take actions that might be perceived as intimidating or threatening.”

Intimidating a board member through district-wide e-mails, as well as through repeated messages on social media

Lurking after hours by the classroom door of the female teacher who filed a complaint against him

Harassing and intimidating multiple people — including a referee and administrators — at a basketball game

The voters have spoken, and Patrick Hickey has been elected to the school board. However, due to the allegations listed above, the undersigned do not feel it is in the best interest or safety of Washington Local staff and students for Patrick Hickey to have unfettered access to district property.

We ask that the members of the Washington Local Schools Board of Education retain Patrick Hickey’s ban from all school property, aside from the Lincolnshire Administration Building. When interacting with staff members of Washington Local, it is also expected (per the official letter of reprimand issued 9/16/15) these interactions will avoid even the appearance of impropriety.

Washington Local Schools residents, students, employees, and alumni are encouraged to sign and share this petition.