One Staff Member Returns to Marine Academy After Sex Scandal Investigation

By Jim Vail

Former MLA Principal Erin Galfer was accused of coverup.

The Chicago Public Schools removed 12 Marine Leadership Academy (MLA) employees including the principal, teachers and staff last fall after they were accused of sexual misconduct with students or trying to cover it up.

But an internal investigation has found one of the employees was not guilty and returned to the school in February.

"In some cases, employees return to their school after being investigated and cleared of all threats to student safety," MLA Principal Kristin Novy wrote in an email to parents on Feb 23. "One of our previously-pulled staff members has been found to be safe to return to school and will return on Thur, Feb. 24."

Novy wrote that they will be working carefully with the employee to implement a re-entry plan that supports all students and staff. She said that they are working with the Office of Student Protections and Title IX and the Office of Social Emotional Learning to identify and provide resources for the school community as well as working with the Office of Safety and Security regarding MLA social media posts.

"Our goal is to be able to move forward as a school community and work together in the best interests of the students."

The Marine Academy sex scandal rocked CPS when it was revealed teachers and employees were grooming students that dated back more than two years. However, CPS promoted Principal Galfer last summer rather than fire, which they did once everything blew up in the media.

Was this a CPS coverup?

For years, MLA staff in Logan Square alerted admin and CPS officials about pervasive sex abuse on and off the campus, but the issue was not taken seriously. The military high school had also lost two students to suicide and the whistle blowers blame the school environment. The whistleblower employees said they face harassment from other school employees for speaking out about the sex abuse.

One teacher had a sexual relationship with a student and a volunteer groomed multiple students. They say about a dozen students were affected. "We fought really hard," the whistleblower told the media. "Because it felt like the upper people were covering up."

The Chicago Tribune featured an alarming report called Betrayed in 2018 that featured a series of rampant sex abuse in the schools that were covered up, including a track star at Simeon Career Academy who was raped 40 times by the coach.

While some predators were prosecuted and fired, hundreds of teachers and staff were rounded up and investigated. Suddenly every Chicago public school teacher and staff member was being watched with suspicious eyes by a district that appeared to have covered up the crimes. At this time, many of my colleagues were under unrelenting scrutiny and in fear of losing our jobs.

What the mainstream media did not report was how many teachers were exonerated. Many moved on or transferred to other schools. Trying to wipe out pedophilia in the schools is like trying to root out corruption in the city, an impossible mission. The question not asked is how many innocent teachers and staff were forced out.

Making life a living hell for teachers across the city for the actions of a few criminals certainly aligned with the ruling money interests agenda to destroy public schools.

At Marine Leadership, while one was found not guilty, another staff member was snagged up in the continuing investigation.

"I am writing to inform you that there has been an allegation of inappropriate conduct with students; this involves one of our non-teaching staff members," Principal Novy wrote on April 7. "This employee has been removed from the school, and an investigation has been initiated by the Office of Inspector General."