Update on Casson Hale

From Bonnie Alicea

After submitting FOIA's and trying to wrap my head around the information supplied, I decided to submit this story to the BR.  As some in Bolingbrook know, I take the students future in Bolingbrook very seriously and was heavily involved in finding out more about the Devon Hodges story.  When I heard about Casson and the similarities, I had to reach out to the family and do some investigative work to uncover some more information.  This is what I uncovered.

The scholarship committee does not meet in a formal meeting.  They review the candidates individually.  The members on this committee did NOT include Ms. Pawlowitz. 

The committee meets to discuss the students’ general applications and the students’ relative merit to hand out the scholarships that outside organizations ask us to present. The team works to come to a consensus on recipients based on the following criteria:
Grades, Attendance, Personal Statement, Clubs and Activities, Number of outside scholarships received, Outstanding achievement, Discipline, Student Need, and any criteria communicated from the donor

No students are removed from consideration based on any one criterion, and no student receives more than one scholarship. The committee then makes recommendations to the donor who makes the final decision.

Valley View has admitted that "no document exists" when I asked for a list of candidates that applied.  They did not make a list of applicants, they only used the applications. 

Ms. Pawlowitz was not suppose to be involved in the process.  Furthermore, the conflict of interest for both Mr. Mitchem and Ms. Pawlowitz was found in the information below.

Ms. Pawlowitz's daughter received the gold scholarship award for the American Legion, which has no price on it.  She received the IL State Scholarship as well, with no price on it.  I am assuming these are high amount awards since price was not listed.
Mitchems son received $4,700.00.
Casson was only given $500??? in scholarships.

Ms. Pawlowitz took her own liberty to EXCLUDE Casson from possible scholarship opportunities and did not correct her action until all the awards were awarded.

When Mitchem reviewed the situation and determined what Casson would have received, and offered this amount to Casson, he never got anyone to sign off or review his decision.  Only Mitchem determined the amount and settled the issue. 

The tragedy of the whole situation is that it has been over a month since the incident, and both Mithem or Ms. Pawlowitz have had any emails, meetings, documents, or supporting evidence to show that Ms. Pawlowitz was disciplined for her actions, that she was removed from the process she was never involved in, or that the process will be changed to eliminate any conflict of interest.

Therefore, I believe that Ms. Pawlowitz and Mr. Mitchem has gotten away with a harsh display of favoritism, fighting to achieve high scholarship amounts in favor of their own children while using a position of power to interfere in the committee's work and process.  Whereas I support Casson Hale's family and potential actions against the school board for not overseeing and interfering in this process which was littered with abuse of power, deception, favoritism, and interference in the education potential and future of a student.  (I see the same issues with Devon Hodges and the same parties involved.)

The board should have stepped in to oversee the process, knowing there would be a conflict of interest.  They should have demanded to review Mr. Mitchem's offer of the award, knowing the child was wronged.  There should have been a sign off process.  The board should have recommended disciplinary action towards Ms. Pawlowitz and a review of the process and procedure, in order to avoid potential lawsuits in the future.  The school attorneys should have scheduled a meeting with the family and posted a public apology.  None of this was done. 

As for my opinion, I am disgusted that Mr. Mitchem's son took priority on the basketball team while Devon Hodges was kicked off.  I am disgusted that his son received more scholarship money than CassonCasson was.  I am sure this priority was important to Mr. Mitchem while other students were not.  As the Principal and now the Superintendent, it is important to be seen as fair and in all the children's best interest.  In his short tenure in his new position, I can honestly say I am not looking forward to his rule there.  There has already been too much controversy surrounding his choice of bad decisions,and these are just new one's to add to the list. 

I am disgusted by the fact that nothing was done about Pawlowitz deceit and lies, and that all students are subjected to her accusations and mean behavior. 

Bottom line, I will continue to report and look out for those that are too young to look out for themselves in Bolingbrook.  I will continue to expose the wrong doing of students caught in a vicious cycle of political cronyism, where one future is ruined while another is put on a pedestal.  All men, women, and children should be created equal and have all opportunities presented to them.  This is American damn it!