Orland District 135 HR Director Resigns, Board Votes Unanimously In Favor Of Move

ORLAND PARK, IL — An administrator at Orland District 135 has resigned, following official action taken by the Board of Education on Tuesday.

Orland District 135 board members on Tuesday voted unanimously to approve a resignation agreement and release for HR Director Suzanne Owens. The effective date and other terms of the agreement were not known Wednesday, though it appears it was effective immediately; Patch has filed a Freedom of Information Act request for a copy of the document.

Board members made the motion to vote on the agreement after returning from closed session; the vote was not captured on the livestream of the meeting. Board President Nichole Browner confirmed the board's action, also declining further comment on the matter.

It was initially unclear Wednesday if Owens had already signed the agreement, and she was at first still listed as director on the district’s website. As of Wednesday evening, though, she had been removed from it.

Owens had reportedly been on leave since August, though district officials have repeatedly declined to comment on her status. An email sent to Owens Aug. 25 was answered with a canned response disclosing her absence, with no end date noted. A source on background confirmed Owens never returned from leave.

Owens has been with the district since 2016, and has served as HR director since July 2017, according to her LinkedIn.

Owens was one of three administrators named by district parents in a petition seeking their removal. The online petition–which has since been removed from the internet—pointed to "unsettling actions" by Superintendent Dr. John Bryk, Associate Superintendent Dave Snyder and Director of HR Suzanne Owens at the root of issues in the district.

The petition surfaced amid controversy in the district regarding its board of education over the hiring of one administrator and the ousting of two others. Parents sought community support intended to push the board to action on "the power three" of Bryk, Snyder and Owens.

At last viewing, the petition had gained at least 2,000 signatures.

The board has been attempting to right a ship rocked by controversy over the hiring of Century Junior High Assistant Principal Tremaine Harris. Community members, staff and alumni in late-July accused the board of negligence in Harris' hiring, with allegations of poor vetting, lack of experience and oversight of content some found offensive on Harris' social media.

Harris was hired in July, and though the public called for his job offer to be rescinded at a July 28 special meeting, Harris remains in the role, alongside new Principal Jeana Naujokas.

Following the July 28 meeting, some indicated that Harris' hiring—and the outrage around it—is indicative of more deep-rooted leadership issues within the district. Parents said that their upset was compounded by the shock around position changes of beloved former Century administrators Dr. Brian Horn and Dr. Heather Conrad.

Both were shifted out of their principal and assistant principal roles, respectively, at the end of the school year and with no public explanation, one parent told Patch. Horn had served as principal at Century since 2012, according to his LinkedIn, and Conrad became assistant principal in 2019.

In May, board members approved Horn's resignation as principal at Century effective June 30, and his assignment as a language arts teacher at Jerling Junior High effective Aug. 18.

Previously in March, board members approved a resolution for non-renewal of Conrad's administrator contract, and her reclassification as a teacher within the district. She's teaching at Orland Junior High this year.

Some have since called for the resignations or removals of Bryk, Snyder and Owens.

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