District 189 administrators sue for breach of contract

East St. Louis School District 189 administrators Sheryl Coleman and Luberta Allen filed suit in St. Clair County Circuit Court claiming they were reassigned from principal positions in violation of state law.

Coleman, who had worked as principal of Hawthorne Elementary School during the 2006-2007 school year, and assigned to be principal of Brown Elementary School during the 2007-2008 school year, claims superintendent Theresa Saunders recommended she be reassigned to a non-teaching, non-certified position because she didn't have a teaching certificate, according to the suit filed Nov. 13.

Allen, who worked as principal of Lincoln Middle School in the 2006-2007 school year and was assigned to be principal of the District Evening School in the 2007-2008 school year, claims she was reassigned to a teaching position within the district.

The plaintiffs, represented by Brian McCarthy of Wimmer, Stiehl & McCarthy in Belleville, claim they were damaged in part because Saunders falsely stated to the board of education at a meeting Aug. 10 that they refused to sign an employment contract.

Coleman and Allen claim the school district failed to pay them in accordance with contracts executed on June 29.

According to exhibits filed with the lawsuit, Allen's contract indicates a salary in the amount of $96,562 was crossed through and the amount of $117,710 was typed in the contract's margin.

Coleman's contract indicates a salary in the amount of $85,024 crossed through with an amount of $88,425 typed in the contract's margin.