Illinois district terminates contract with former Brown Deer school manager

A Chicago-area school district voted Wednesday to terminate its contract with former Brown Deer School District business manager Edward Towle, who is suing his former employer amid revelations his actions cost the Brown Deer district thousands of dollars.

The vote of the Community Consolidated School District 46 in Grayslake, Ill., was 7-0, Board President Mary Garcia said. The board decided Towle was not a good fit for the district and that he was not forthright on his application, Garcia said.

"It was a learning experience for us," Garcia said when reached by telephone Wednesday night.

Towle had been on paid leave from his Brown Deer position since February 2009 when he signed a contract with District 46 on April 7 to become its chief school business official, effective July 1.

He landed the job with the help of a letter from Brown Deer Superintendent Deb Kerr.

Officials with the Grayslake district said they were unaware at the time that Towle had been on a paid leave of absence for more than a year at Brown Deer.

Kerr later said the letter of recommendation was an effort to resolve a legal conflict between the Brown Deer district and Towle, who has filed a lawsuit against the district alleging defamation and breach of contract.

Towle's salary and fringe benefits amounted to $136,451 in 2009-'10. At the same time, the district paid a consultant $48 an hour to perform Towle's duties.