UPDATED: Sheriff's Office Investigating Former L-W East Music Dept. Head
Clifton Smith, head of Lincoln-Way East High School's music department, resigned this month for "personal reasons." A Will County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman will not say why he's being investigated.
- UPDATED (2:26 p.m. Tuesday, May 22): Comment from Stacy Holland, community relations director for Lincoln-Way School District 210)
The longtime head of Lincoln-Way East High School's music department is being investigated by the Will County Sheriff's Office, a spokeswoman said Monday.
Sheriff's spokeswoman Kathy Hoffmeyer would not say why Clifton Smith, the former chair for L-W East's music department, was under investigation. No charges have been filed against Smith.
READ: L-W East Music Department Head, Choral Director Resign
Smith resigned effectively immediately May 10 as the music department's chair, citing personal reasons. Smith had been in that position at L-W East since 2003. Bert Johnson, the Lincoln-Way North High School music department chair, has been named as Smith's replacement at East.
Smith also did not attend L-W East's May 10 band concert, even though the band performed a piece he had written for his daughter.
Hoffmeyer would not comment on whether Smith's resignation and the investigation were connected. Stacy Holland, the community relations director for Lincoln-Way School District 210, would not comment on the investigation.
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In This article
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Lincoln-Way East High School
201 Colorado Ave, Frankfort, IL -
Will County Sheriff's Department Laraway Substation
2402 E Laraway Rd, Joliet, IL -
Lincoln-Way North High School
19900 S. Harlem Ave., Frankfort, IL -
Frank
3:34 pm on Tuesday, May 22, 2012
So there's an 'Update' for the Comment about not commenting on the situation? Terrible.
Diane Leo
10:49 pm on Tuesday, May 22, 2012
I'm not seeing this in any other news feed. What's your source?
Joe Vince
10:51 pm on Tuesday, May 22, 2012
@Diane Leo:
The Will County Sheriff's Office. It's attributed in the story. Or is there something else you have a question about?
Joe Vince
Local Editor, Frankfort
Jack Connell
8:51 pm on Friday, May 25, 2012
This smacks of yellow journalism reporting on a person "under investigation" but no hard facts what the investigation concerns. Perhaps the story should have waited for more facts instead of placing a cloud of suspicion upon an individual & community.
Jim Andricopulos
10:47 pm on Monday, May 28, 2012
A sheriff's office investigation of a man entrusted to care for the children of hundreds of families in the LW village is newsworthy - even if that department and the school release information in drips or not at all. As I'm sure you know, the sheriff's office cannot risk slander lawsuits by conducting investigations capriciously, without some kind of reasonable cause. Obviously, many, like me, are closely watching these developments. That, in and of itself, makes it newsworthy as well. Your use of the phrase, 'Yellow journalism' implies somebody has something to gain from the story.
This story is disappointing and saddens many in the LW area, especially those of us parents of children in the music department, on the heels of losing two well established and highly regarded influences in our children's lives. Nobody has anything to gain by this. But let's not blame the messenger or in this case, the patch.
Jack Connell
5:52 am on Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Well I'm sure it helps sell papers to so at least someone has something to gain. I am not arguing that the story should not be covered just that you should wait until you have something substantial.