Oak Park and River Forest High School’s executive director of equity and student success, LaTonya Applewhite, is on paid leave until Dec. 31.
Lee Williams, who has been a transitions specialist working with special needs students at OPRF, was named interim director of equity and student success. The appointment of Williams was part of the personnel report that was unanimously approved as part of the School Board’s consent agenda at the Sept. 25 meeting.
Applewhite’s leave began Sept. 5. Her leave of absence was included in the OPRF School Board’s personnel report, which was approved at a Sept. 11 special meeting of the OPRF District 200 Board of Education. The special meeting lasted less than five minutes and the personnel recommendations, which included Applewhite’s leave of absence, were, as is typical, unanimously approved without comment and without disclosing what the personnel recommendations were or who they involved. The personnel report gave no reason for Applewhite’s leave of absence.
School administrators have refused to say why Applewhite is on leave. Karin Sullivan, the district’s executive director of communications, declined to comment because it was a personnel matter.
OPRF Superintendent Greg Johnson informed OPRF staff members of Applewhite’s leave on Sept. 12, the day after the School Board officially approved the leave.
“I’m writing to let you know that Dr. LaTonya Applewhite, our executive director of equity and student success, has taken a leave of absence through the end of this semester,” Johnson wrote in a message sent to OPRF staff members. “Over the next several days, I’ll be meeting with several of you who have been involved with our equity efforts to ensure that we continue to move this work forward. I’ll share more information with those directly affected in the coming days as we firm up our plans.”
Johnson declined to comment on why Applewhite was placed on leave or if she would return to her job in January.
“Her leave expires on Dec. 31,” Johnson said.
Applewhite did not reply to an email requesting a comment from her. A post publicly shared on Applewhite’s LinkedIn profile states she “previously worked at Chicago Public Schools, Oak Park & River Forest High School, and Rich Township High School District 227,” and she is “seeking a new role and would appreciate your support.”
Applewhite, who earned a doctorate in teacher leadership from Concordia University in 2019, has worked at OPRF since 2022. She is the third person to hold the equity director job since the position was created in 2019. She succeeded Patrick Hardy and LeVar Ammons.
Applewhite’s salary for the current school year is $157,480.96. She will be paid a little more than $51,000 during her nearly four months of paid leave.
Before coming to OPRF in 2022 Applewhite worked in three administrative positions at Rich Township High School District 227 in Richton Park. She began her career in education in 2005 when she was hired to be an English teacher at Chicago Public Schools. She taught for seven years before becoming an education support specialist and then a principal and associate principal at CPS before going to Rich Township District 227 in 2018.
Applewhite earned her bachelor’s degree in English in 2002 from Alcorn State University in her native Mississippi and also earned two master’s degrees from Chicago State University.
Bob Skolnik is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
