Palatine Principal Retires Amid Reports Of Inappropriate Comments

PALATINE, IL — In a letter sent Thursday to Palatine High School staff members, students and parents, Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 Superintendent Dan Cates detailed the reasoning behind high school principal Gary Steiger's early retirement. According to the Daily Herald, Steiger moved up his retirement from the end of the school year to the start of spring break at the time of an investigation into accusations he made inappropriate comments to staff members throughout several years, school officials said Thursday. Steiger's retirement became effective March 27, after serving as principal for Palatine High School the past 17 years, according to the news report.

"In mid-March, we received a complaint that then-Principal Gary Steiger had made an inappropriate comment to a staff member," Cates wrote in the letter, according to the Daily Herald. "That individual brought the matter to the attention of our human resources department. We immediately began an investigation, and we received reports of additional demeaning experiences and inappropriate comments from Principal Steiger that took place several years ago."

Cates emphasized that no reports of similar conduct had been made to the district prior to this, and added that the comments claimed to have been made by Steiger were never directed at students and were not racist, according to the Daily Herald. Cates said no disciplinary action is possible and the nature of Steiger's early retirement doesn't impact his retirement benefits, the news report added. Cate's letter included the order of events that took place after reports regarding Steiger were received. The superintendent also praised the courage of staff members who reported their complaints, according to the Daily Herald.

The Daily Herald reported Steiger was hired by District 211 in 1985 and became the high school's principal in 2002. He was named one of four Principals of the Year by Horace Mann and the Illinois Principals Association in March 2015. Palatine High School's Assistant Principal Tony Medina is now serving as principal after being appointed last October to succeed Steiger on July 1, the Daily Herald said.