November 11, 2009

Dear Parent or Guardian,

I am, unfortunately, writing you with very troubling news. We are still gathering
facts, but even in this early moment, I feel that it is crucial to provide parents with
as much information as we can, as soon as we can.

On Tuesday, November 10, we learned of a situation at Wiley Middle School. Just

before dismissal, one of our middle school teachers was escorted from the building
by two police officers. We subsequently learned from police that this teacher,
Christopher Thomas, has been accused of conducting an inappropriate relationship
with a Wiley student.

The details of this situation are part of an ongoing police investigation, and we are
working closely with the University Heights and Eastlake Police Departments to
find all the facts.

Mr. Thomas was hired as a teacher at Wiley Middle School in the 2007-2008
school year. As with all teachers, state and federal background checks were done
on Mr. Thomas and yielded no indication of any past improper behavior.

There are many more facts that need to be determined before this situation can be
fully addressed, both by the Police and by our District. Nevertheless, this is clearly
a very serious situation. We have immediately placed a long-term substitute
teacher in Mr. Thomas’s class. Even though innocent until proven guilty, Mr.
Thomas has been placed on administrative leave pending the completion of our
investigation.

We are horrified by the possibility that such an act may have occurred, and we will
do everything we can to assist the student and the family.

To that end, we would like for parents and guardians to talk with your children, and
if you find the children have information or have been affected, please encourage
them to share that with staff members, guidance counselors, or building
administrators. We wish to make every effort to provide the support and
precautionary measures possible.

Please know that we are taking this situation very seriously, and we will continue to
provide you with more information as it develops throughout the investigation.
Until then, if you have questions, please feel free to contact our Communications
Department at 216.371.7131.

Sincerely,

Douglas G. Heuer
Superintendent