Dupage Policy Journal

Homer Community Consolidated School District 33C school board members have remained silent in the wake of revelations that one of their teachers posted disturbing content on social media.

School board members President Elizabeth Hitzeman, Vice President Kevin DeSchaaf, Secretary Chris Trzeciak, Deb Martin, Karen DeFilippis, Melissa Chandarana, and Jennifer Rudolph did not respond to a request for comment from DuPage Policy Journal.

While school board members have not spoken out, Superintendent Craig Schoppe issued a letter to parents explaining that the school is listening despite being muzzled due to personnel privacy rules.

"As you may have heard or seen online, there has been some question and concern with regards to 33C hiring protocol and details surrounding the conditions of hire for new employees," Superintendent Craig Schoppe wrote in his letter, according to Patch. "While the district cannot speak on matters of personnel for individual employees, I do want parents to know that I have heard your concerns, understand the issues highlighted by the community, and am investigating the situation." 

"Our utmost concern is for the continued safety and wellbeing of our students and staff and will continue to ensure that all employees are held to the same high standard of professionalism that Homer 33C has come to be known for," Schoppe added in his letter. 

Schoppe’s letter comes in the wake of the posts by elementary school art teacher Kris Martin who works for Homer 33C which serves Homer Glen and Lockport. The teacher’s 2018 and 2020 social media posts, including profanity-laden comments targeting police officers, have ignited outrage and prompted calls for action, particularly from parents with students enrolled in the district.

Libs of TikTok noted Martin’s social media post discussing his mental illness. "Homer CCSD 33C hired this individual as an elementary school teacher. He claims to suffer from 'mania and psychosis' which can lead him to be 'violent and hurtful,'" Libs of TikTok wrote in an Aug. 17 Twitter post.

The account linked to a screenshot of a social media post from Martin reading, “I HAVE BI POLAR 1 DISORDER WITH MANIA AND PSYCHOSIS! This condition has drastically changed my life for better and worse. Because of it I suffer from irrational thought processes which make my fears and anxieties triple. Every day is a battle with my mind to survive and be the best me I can be. I have done things in conditions of psychosis and mania that have been violent and hurtful. But I am NOT my disease. I am ME! And I know ME. And I LOVE ME!”

Another photo posted by LibsofTikTok and attributed to Martin showed a pair of bloody hands hovering over a gaped mouth woman whose face and neck were covered in blood.

“They have to investigate it. I’m not saying don’t investigate it and just say this is what’s going on, but I think the school should’ve done a better job in checking these things,” parent Jessica Rajchel told Fox 32 Chicago.