Hersey High School wrestling coach faces disciplinary notice

Already on administrative leave, John Hersey High School wrestling coach Joe Rupslauk is due to be served a notice to remedy by the Northwest Suburban High School District 214 school board Thursday.

The notice “references deficiencies in the conduct of the teacher, which, if not remedied, may result in the teacher’s dismissal,” according to a resolution on the board’s meeting agenda.

It also contains “directives which, if not followed, may result in the teacher’s dismissal,” the resolution states.

A copy of the notice itself was not attached to the board’s public agenda packet released Tuesday afternoon, and district officials didn’t provide a copy Wednesday. The Daily Herald has filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the document.

Reached by phone Wednesday morning, Rupslauk said he was unaware of the pending notice, and declined to comment about his ongoing leave from his positions as boys varsity coach and special education teacher at the Arlington Heights school.

District officials placed Rupslauk and other wrestling coaches on administrative leave Dec. 10, pending the outcome of an internal review.

Several of the coaches — across both boys and girls programs, and varsity, junior varsity and freshman levels — remained on leave Wednesday, district officials confirmed.

Officials have yet to disclose what prompted the leave and internal investigation.

Rupslauk could return to the school if he follows the directives outlined in the notice.

“A notice to remedy is a corrective, due-process step required under Illinois law for tenured employees,” Pat Mogge, the district’s director of community engagement and outreach, wrote in response to questions from the Daily Herald. “It outlines expectations and directives and provides an opportunity for remediation. Any future decisions regarding assignments or employment status depend on compliance with those directives and applicable district processes.”

Rupslauk led Hersey’s varsity boys to a number of regional and sectional titles in recent years, culminating in a fourth-place finish at state last season.

Though he and other coaches have been gone, Hersey boys and girls wrestling programs at all levels have continued to compete under the supervision of other school staff.

The school board meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Forest View Educational Center, 2121 S. Goebbert Road in Arlington Heights.