Grievance aired at Unit #305 school board meeting

By Editor | June 24, 2025 |

By Ariana R Cherry
A large crowd of unit teachers filled the room at the regular meeting of the Arthur CUSD #305 school board on Wednesday, June 18 in the high school cafeteria.

During public comment, Heather Strack, a Special Education teacher, approached the board with grievances regarding Superintendent Shannon Cheek. She opened her speech. “I am passionate about my job. We work hard for the kids, and we are here for the kids.”

Heather then began to tell her story, mapping it out as a timeline. “In August 2021, Shannon Cheek assigned Mrs. Amy Hooten and myself to split the job of a third special education teacher. There were other options, but he felt two veteran special education teachers with 40+ years of experience was the best option. We were both given $6,000 per semester. Amy and I were compensated $24,000, a first-year teacher at the time would have been paid $42,000. Our hard work, 55+ meetings that school year- out of the classroom and instruction two periods a week, saved the district $18,000. Two special education teachers helped the district and were completely under compensated, and no thank you for stepping up,” she passionately stated.

Strack continued, “Fast forward two years, August 2023. You (Superintendent Cheek) entered my classroom at 8:00 am on Monday, August 30, and closed the door. You proceeded to tell me that I was placed incorrectly on the salary schedule, and I would have to take a reduction in pay because I was being overpaid?” she stated questioningly. Heather informed the crowd that she had not been placed inappropriately on the salary schedule seven years prior. This unprofessional abuse of power and intimidation violated multiple federal and state laws, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (42 USC and 7000e), workplace discrimination, hostile environment, and the Illinois Human Rights Act (775 ILCS 5/2-102), gender-based intimidation, Illinois State Officials and Employees Ethics Act (5 ILCS 430)- misuse of position, and Illinois School Code (105 ILCS 5/10-22.4 & 10-21.4)- improper discipline or compensation decisions.”

After the explanation of violated rights, Heather went on. “His action caused financial harm, as I had to seek legal protection to protect my rights and had to join the union, which caused harm to my family due to the enforcement of my legal rights.” As she grew more passionate, Heather began to wrap up her comments. “At the same time you were trying to harm me, your ‘buddy,” Mr. Seal, had just been given a teacher-paid position to pad his pockets close to retirement. It makes no sense how and why a teacher’s union would ever allow this. It is disgraceful letting/giving a multi-thousand-dollar teacher stipend to an administrator!

Fast forward two years, June 2025. Teachers are only worth 1%, but an assistant principal/athletic director who seeks employment in another district gets a 24% raise. And now, if I threaten to leave, will I get a 24% raise?” Heather questioned Superintendent Cheek.

The audience of unit teachers burst into applause, showing their support for Mrs. Strack while the board looked on in shock, but the public comments were not quite finished. Mike Strack, Heather’s husband and a U.S. Navy Veteran, stood up to speak in support of his wife.

He read only a portion of his comments and stated the remainder would be entered into the record and minutes under public comment.

“I am speaking tonight not just as a husband, but as a citizen who understands government accountability, ethics, and law. What is happening under Superintendent Cheek and this board is not only unethical- it is unlawful and unquestionably unsustainable. Let me begin with what happened to my wife. Recently, Mr. Cheek entered her classroom, closed the door behind him, and was now alone with my wife, a female subordinate, informed her she was “being overpaid” and that her salary would be reduced. During this encounter, he made inappropriate and suggestive remarks that deeply disturbed my wife and left her in tears. There was no HR representative, no union advocate, no due process- only intimidation and abuse of power,” he said.

“That was not a lapse in professionalism,” he continued. “It was abuse of power, and violated multiple federal and state laws, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act-workplace discrimination and hostile environment, Illinois Human Rights Act- gender based intimidation, Illinois State Officials and Employees Ethics Act-misuse of position, Illinois School Code- improper discipline or compensation decisions and Illinois Administrative Code Title 23- procedural violations concerning certified educators.” Mike stated.

“You handed out a 24% raise, over $24,000, to an administrator who threatened to leave. You rewarded someone threatening to abandon this district, while telling my wife, who stepped up and took on another teacher’s full workload, that she’d been overpaid and will only receive a token $6,000 for each semester, doing the work of another teacher… I demand that this teaching role be immediately returned to a certified teacher as required by your collective bargaining agreement – an agreement that the union did not approve to be waived or reassigned. If that is not corrected, I will initiate civil litigation to compel this change,” he said.

With just as much passion as his wife Heather, Mike began to wrap up his public comment. “Let me be clear now. I am preparing impact litigation – not just to correct my wife’s mistreatment, but to expose the broader pattern of mismanagement and force systemic and legislative reform across Illinois districts. Effective immediately, I will begin submitting Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for all administrative contracts, raises, and budget approvals (last five years), any documentation regarding Heather Strack’s compensation and reassignment” he informed the board.

“And now a word of legal advice,” Mike interjected. “Consider this your formal notice. Any attempt to delete, conceal, mislabel, or manipulate public records-physical or digital-is a criminal act under both state and federal law. This school needs my wife far more than she needs this school. She has carried the burden of leadership failure. And all of you know it….If you’ve participated in wrongdoing, resign now. If you don’t know, reach out and talk with me. I can provide you with some good advice. This is always about the children until you don’t make it this way. Seems to be a pattern at this district.”

“And now you want to ask the public to go into debt to build a new school while handing out 24% raises to administrators who threaten to leave? Not a chance. Not under leadership like this,“ Strack concluded.

Just as they did earlier, applause echoed throughout the cafeteria once more, while Superintendent Cheek and board members were left speechless but continued to carry on with their agenda for the evening.

In a follow-up interview the next day by reporter Ariana Cherry, Cheek was asked for a response regarding the comments of Heather and Mike Strack. He stated, “He didn’t feel it was necessary to talk about her speech and that it wouldn’t be informative for the public to have the “back and forth” with the newspaper.

In regard to Nathan Seal’s “24% raise,” Cheek commented the following: “The percentage is incorrect, but I can confirm that he was granted a new contract that does include a raise. I can also confirm that Mt. Zion had shown an interest in him.”

Other items discussed/voted on during the meeting included:

•Superintendent Cheek stated the Health Life Safety Amendment was approved by Illinois State Board of Education

•Cheek reported the district received the 4th payment for transportation for the fiscal year.

•Approved a custodial services contract with Decker Family Cleaning. “We posted the job position and did not have any replies. The Decker family was excited to get started. Fingers crossed, we hope it’s a huge step up,” Cheek commented.

•Carle Sports Medicine contract for athletic training was approved. “There was a small increase, but it is nice to have a trainer on site and Carle is great to work with,” said Cheek.

•Approved a $0.10 fee increase for school lunches in both K-5 and junior high-high school.

•Approved to increase substitute teachers’ pay by $5.00. “We are trying to stay competitive with other districts. It has been quite a shift since I started, noted Cheek. “We are asking for a $5 increase to remain competitive.”

•Approved psychology services contract with Presence Learning. It has been the same contract that has been utilized since Cheek’s second year in the district. The minimum is $35,000 to secure services.

•Administrative raises were approved of 3.25%, and the non-certified staff raises were also approved at 3.25%.

The district received a large amount of donations in the past month totaling $62,380,00:

Donation #1-Lovington Technology Foundation in the amount of $40,000.00 for camera/phone project

Donation #2 – Ryan Bowles in the amount of $1000.00 for flag holders for football flags

Donation #3 -Multiple donors for the new pavilion at the football field totaling $21,380.00

Legacy Building Supply (materials for the pavilion), Seamless Exterior Solutions LLC (labor to erect the pavilion), Raymond Miller Concrete (materials and labor to pour the pad), Bear Creek Yard Creations (a portion of the picnic table that the raffle didn’t cover), Dutch

Valley Meats (hog processing), The County Chronicle (raffle tickets), and On Point Storage Solutions LLC/ Chicken Bristle Livestock Co. (donated the hog, hosted the raffle, coordinated the entities involved and communicated with school administrators).

Personnel Report:

Certified:

•Approved hiring Brett Pope, Social Studies teacher, AHGS

•Accepted resignation of AHGS teacher Mike Haste

•Accepted resignation of Art teacher Katy Agney at LGS and AHGS

Non-Certified:

•Accepted resignation of Lynnette Wilson as the secretary at AGS

•Approved hiring Alexa Miller as secretary for AGS

Extra Curricular

•Approved Tiffany Reedy for scholastic bowl sponsor at LGS

•Approved Jennifer Ingram for student council sponsor at LGS

•Approved Morgan Wendt as jr. high volleyball assistant coach