Introduction to the Scandal
LINCOLN PARK — Five years after a scandal and administrative shakeup roiled Lincoln Park High School, the saga has come to a close. The Chicago Board of Education last week approved a $700,000 settlement with former principals John Thuet and Michelle Brumfield, who were abruptly fired in 2020 amid allegations that were later discredited. Each will receive $350,000.
Fired Without Explanation
Thuet, then 38, had been serving as interim principal at Lincoln Park High School for five months and had interviewed for the permanent role when he and Assistant Principal Brumfield were abruptly fired Jan. 31, 2020. Four coaches and deans were also suspended. District leaders told parents and students there were multiple investigations underway, including “adult-on-student sexual misconduct.” At a heated February 2020 community meeting, CPS officials presented slides suggesting administrators had engaged in serious misconduct.
Students protest the ouster of top staffers outside of Lincoln Park High School on Feb. 6, 2020. Credit: Marie Fazio/Chalkbeat
That meeting drew several hundred parents, teachers and students, many of whom booed district officials when they declined to provide more information. Teachers read letters calling for transparency. Parents complained they were being kept in the dark.
The Allegations and Investigations
The oustings came weeks after CPS said it was investigating an unauthorized boys basketball team trip to Detroit, during which students were reported to have engaged in sex acts that were recorded and shared. Investigators soon tacked on allegations of retaliation, financial mismanagement and, later, a separate claim of misconduct involving the girls basketball team. But the Office of Inspector General later found those claims were exaggerated, retaliatory and in some cases fabricated by top officials in CPS’ Office of Student Protections.
Years of Fallout
The firings sparked student walkouts, and the school community spent months demanding answers amid silence from CPS. In 2022, Thuet lost a federal jury trial in which he argued that CPS defamed him and denied him due process. But subsequent arbitration rulings and watchdog reports repeatedly faulted the district’s handling of the case. In 2023, an independent arbitrator described CPS’ conduct as “astounding” and “overtly false.”
Lincoln Park High School on Sept. 11, 2024. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
Conclusion
The settlement follows a May decision by former CPS CEO Pedro Martinez to remove both principals from the district’s “do not hire” list. “This case shows the choice for CPS should not be either protecting students or treating their teachers, coaches and principals with dignity and some due process. It needs to do both,” Bill Choslovsky, the attorney who represented Thuet and Brumfield, told Block Club. “That’s the ultimate lesson of this five-year saga.” With Thuet and Brumfield’s settlement, CPS has now spent more than $3 million resolving fallout from the Lincoln Park High School scandal.
FAQs
- Q: How much did the Chicago Board of Education approve for the settlement with former principals John Thuet and Michelle Brumfield?
A: $700,000 - Q: Why were John Thuet and Michelle Brumfield fired in 2020?
A: They were fired amid allegations of misconduct that were later discredited. - Q: What was the outcome of the investigations into the allegations?
A: The Office of Inspector General found that the claims were exaggerated, retaliatory, and in some cases fabricated by top officials in CPS’ Office of Student Protections. - Q: How much has CPS spent in total resolving the fallout from the Lincoln Park High School scandal?
A: More than $3 million.
