Ex-school board president Metzger urged to leave Dist. 204 board

Nearly a week after inadvertently sending a vulgar e-mail to district officials and the father of a boy authorities say was sexually assaulted by two classmates, Mark Metzger resigned his post as president of the Indian Prairie school board.

Fellow board member Christine Vickers said Metzger should have done that Feb. 27 - the day he sent the e-mail - and resigned his seat on the board as well.

"If I had been the board member to blame for that message, I would have resigned before the end of that day. Nor would I expect the board to expect any less of me," she said at Monday's board meeting as audience members slowly rose one at a time, applauding. "Mr. Metzger will you please seriously consider a full resignation from board of education?"

Neither Metzger nor any other member reacted to Vickers' nearly three-minute statement. Metzger did not return with the rest of the board to adjourn after executive session or answer a call placed to his cell phone immediately after the meeting.

Eileen Priestly, a mother of four district students, called on other board members to back Vickers.

"I work in a hospital and I'd be fired on the spot if (that e-mail came from me)," she said. "All you have to do is stand up and say what Christine did, but I would have liked to have had said much quicker guys. Like the next day I'm waiting to hear that."

Metzger relinquished his board president seat last Tuesday and promised to recuse himself from any discussion or votes regarding the district's policies as they relate to the alleged sexual abuse of an 11-year-old Gregory Middle School student by two classmates on Nov. 11, 2008, in the south Naperville home of one of the boys.

Metzger has been coming under fire since Feb. 27, when he responded to the latest accusations made by the father of the 11-year-old alleged victim who had strongly criticized the district's handling of the matter.

"I think it's about time for me to issue a response and blow up the lies this (expletive) continues to tell," Metzger wrote in his one-line e-mail.

Metzger said he intended the e-mail to go only to board members, but it also went to the father as well as the president of the Indian Prairie Parents' Council.

Two other candidates, Michael Crockett and Mike Strick, along with Strick's wife Paula Strick, echoed Vickers' comments during the public comment portion of the meeting.