Sandridge principal, teacher resign amid sex scandal

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BY JOAN CARREON AND CHRIS KELLER
The Times | Thursday, April 12, 2007 | (13 comment(s))

BLOOM TOWNSHIP | Sandridge Elementary School Principal Leroy Coleman and teacher Janet Lofton resigned Thursday after copies of DVD recordings of them being sexually intimate at school were sent to parents, officials and The Times.

Sandridge District 172 School Board Attorney John Izzo said Coleman and Lofton submitted their letters of resignation. Coleman cited health issues, and Lofton indicated illness in the family as the reasons for their departures. Both resignations are effective immediately.

Lofton could not be reached for comment. Coleman declined comment.

"I'd rather, at this point, have no comment," he said as he left Sandridge shortly before noon. He said he knew nothing about the video recording.

"I have to find out what's going on," he said.

Both Lofton and Coleman reportedly are married to other people.

Earlier in the day, Sandridge Elementary School parents were busy contacting state and suburban Cook County education officials, Sandridge board members, Superintendent Diane Dyer-Dawson and media representatives after they had watched the DVD recording of Coleman and Lofton engaged in sexual activity in his office at school.

Parents Kim Grivakis and Rosie Solis were among those who received a padded envelope containing the DVD in their mailboxes at home Wednesday. The package did not have a return address but was postmarked as being mailed from Flossmoor. It contained the note: "Sandridge District 172 Principal makes porn in school office with staff members during school hours."

Some Sandridge teachers also received the recording, as did The Times and suburban Cook County Regional Superintendent Robert Ingraffia.

The recording showed Coleman and Lofton engaged in sexual activity in Coleman's office during school hours and after school on different dates in December and January. It also showed Coleman hugging and caressing another Sandridge staff member on a separate occasion.

Grivakis and Solis, who have been at odds with Coleman during his time as Sandridge's principal, said they were shocked by what they saw and said it should not have happened while at school when children were in the building.

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Mr Sandman wrote on Aug 2, 2007 6:23 PM:

" Cameras , schamaras, show the darn video already ...what else is there to this stupid story , You Tube will no doubt post it soon enough. Wow, big deal, people never learn from the reporting of any of this kind of stuff and do what ever they want whenever, and however it will effect them is of no concern. This world has lost most of its marbles and is just playing the game with whatever stones are available.... Everyone is just as guilty for even viewing any of this sort of thing. Guilty of giving in to the salaciousness of the news anchors who can't seem to find any "real" journalism worth reporting on.... Ahhhh, Buh Humbug!! "

#1352 wrote on Apr 24, 2007 1:23 PM:

" DR.COLEMAN AND MRS.LOFTON SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO TEACH EVER AGAIN....WHOEVER PUT THE CAMERA IN HIS OFFICE....I RESPECT THEM!!! "

Hope wrote on Apr 24, 2007 1:21 PM:

" dr.coleman and mrs.lofton are messed up..... they should not be allowed to teach at another school again..... and whoever put the camera in his office did the right thing!!!! "

j955 wrote on Apr 17, 2007 7:31 PM:

" Apparently, he wants to be known as the VICE Principal. How come WE can't see the tape? "

Don wrote on Apr 14, 2007 8:21 PM:

" This kind of thing goes on all the time, although it should not have been done on school property. I am more concerned by the person who placed the camera. If he/she got away with it this time where will they strike next; your bedroom, your daughters? The person who filmed this is the real criminal! "

Things that make you go hmm... wrote on Apr 14, 2007 9:48 AM:

" I guess he reversed his stance on "public displays of affection" and requested the assistanc of a few staff members to demonstrate his point. Read the very bottom of the link below (from another area media outlet). Recently he was quoted per the Chicago Sun-Times, saying "I'm not having any romancing going on..." Herewww.suntimes.com/news/metro/341442,CST-NWS-sexdvd14.article "

it doesn't matter wrote on Apr 13, 2007 9:24 AM:

" While the person who made the film may be breaking some laws, the act of having intercourse in a public school is also illegal. See it wasn't in private, it was in a public school. And as for after school hours, how do you know? have you seen the video... Nope. You saw 2 pictures and judge it from that. Even if it has a time clock, that doesn't make it accurate. Plus they said they had several encounters. Whoever put the video camera in there new all about this somehow. It was no accident that a camera just popped up there. Fired and should go to jail. "

Great wrote on Apr 13, 2007 9:20 AM:

" I am not sure how the camera got in there, but this is the best story I have read from the times since the story about Barbara Bennett running for president(look it up in the archives.. it is funny). What a great way to stick it to someone. Although they did bring it on themselves...how funny that the person made a dvd and sent it out to people. Very funny "

al wrote on Apr 13, 2007 8:26 AM:

" What danger are the kids in? Yes this is unprofessional, and they deserve to be let go. The real crime here is the filming of this encounter. The person who produced and distributed this dvd is the one who crossed the line. Two consenting adults interacting in private is not a crime. I agree it is in poor taste, and they do deserve to leave, but not a crime. "

Dumb wrote on Apr 13, 2007 8:01 AM:

" Dorks, keep it in your pants until you leave the school or at least check for cameras. "

Reader wrote on Apr 13, 2007 7:49 AM:

" It looks like all these recordings took place after school hours. "

anon wrote on Apr 13, 2007 6:47 AM:

" This was obviously a setup. However, the principal made a terrible mistake and will likely pay a severe price for this. "

B96JoBo wrote on Apr 13, 2007 3:18 AM:

" This will be in today's Suburban Crime Report. Thanks for the great jounalism. "

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