West Chicago breaks silence after losing job over pro-ICE post

FIRST ON FOX: A Chicago-area teacher who was forced to resign from his job over his Facebook post saying “Go ICE” is speaking out about the emotional and financial toll he suffered.

“This process has been professionally and personally devastating and surreal,” James Heidorn, a former West Chicago teacher, told Fox News Digital in his first public comments on the situation.

“I spent 14 years building my career, pouring my heart into teaching children, building relationships and being a positive role model. To see all of that turned upside down by two simple words, ‘Go ICE,’ in which I expressed my personal support for law enforcement, was a blow to my career.”

In late January, Fox News Digital first reported that the longtime teacher at Gary Elementary School, in a district with a large Hispanic population, had been placed on leave after local community activists began sharing his Facebook post that read “GO ICE” in response to a report about a local police department saying it would cooperate with ICE.

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A West Chicago physical education teacher who resigned over a Facebook post supporting ICE is speaking out about what happened.

On Thursday, Jan. 22, Heidorn was first informed by school officials that they had seen increasing chatter on social media about his post. He briefly resigned after meeting with HR staff before rescinding his resignation the same day. Heidorn was expected to return to school to teach Monday while the school investigated.

Around the same time, Illinois Democratic Sen. Karina Villa, who was filmed in September chasing ICE agents down the street, publicly expressed outrage over the post and said she stood in “unwavering solidarity” with families upset by the “disturbing comments allegedly made by an educator.”

That Saturday, before an investigation was concluded, West Chicago Mayor Daniel Bovey took to Facebook and posted a video explaining why Heidorn’s comments were “hurtful” and “offensive” to many in the community.

“The problem is we have trusted adults who take care of these kids when they can’t be with their mom and dad,” Bovey said. “So to have someone cavalierly rooting for – like it was a football game or something, yeah, come on – events that traumatized these kids… that’s the problem.”

Over the weekend, parents online encouraged each other to keep their students home in protest, and many community members began criticizing Heidorn.

The City of West Chicago held a “listening session” on January 26 at Bovey’s request, attended by a Spanish translator, during which various parents and residents expressed concerns about the message, including one woman who said “kids don’t feel safe” because of the message and another woman who said the message was “cruel.”

“It started with a two-word comment on my personal Facebook page in support of law enforcement, nothing more,” Heidorn said. “This was not directed at any student, family or school community. Second, I was placed on leave and faced intense pressure before a thorough investigation or fair process could occur, which led to my resignation.”

“Third, I lost my career, my income, and the ability to properly end my time with my students – no farewell, no goodbye.”

Ultimately, Heidorn resigned a second time rather than be fired after a hearing with school officials.

In a statement to Fox News Digital at the time Heidorn was on leave in January, a spokesperson for West Chicago Elementary School District 33 called the social media post “disruptive” and said “we understand this situation has raised concerns and caused disruption for students, families and staff.”

Teachers across the United States have taken to the streets in recent weeks, causing disruption in support of far-left causes, including Chicago where teachers stormed a local target harassing employees, protesting President Trump’s immigration policies without facing retaliation or repercussions from local school districts.

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Gary Elementary School in West, Chicago (Google Maps)

“The most important thing is bigger than me: This is about whether personal opinions expressed outside of work can cost someone’s life without due process,” Heidorn said. “I hope free speech matters, even when it’s unpopular.”

“It feels like a double standard because my perspective is different than others in the community I taught in. I believe we should all be able to coexist with our personal political viewpoints. Fairness should apply equally regardless of those viewpoints. If personal political speech is grounds for punishment, it should be consistent and not selective based on which side you are on. I believe in free speech for all, and that is what I hope will come out of all this.”

Heidorn received some support from the local community, including a GoFundMe page calling him a “beloved physical education teacher” who “showed up every day for his students.”

“Emotionally, it has been a roller coaster that has left me feeling a lot of shock, loss and deep sadness over the loss of daily contact with my students,” Heidorn said. “Feelings of anger and frustration at how quickly things escalated without any real dialogue, and heartbreak at not being able to say goodbye to the children I cared about so much. I’ve had some sleepless nights, but I’m trying to stay focused on my family and the support I’ve received from people who really know me.”

Heidorn, who also lost his job coaching football at a nearby private school, told Fox News Digital that one of the hardest aspects of being forced out of his job was losing the relationships he had built with his students, of all backgrounds, over his long career.

When asked what he would say to his students if he had the chance to address the situation directly with them, Heidorn said the online outrage “is not the whole story” and is “just noise from people who don’t know me.”

“To my students: I want you to know that I care deeply about you and always have. The person you knew in class, the person who cheered for you, played with you and encouraged you, is still the same person,” Heidorn said. “I have always tried to provide the best learning environment and atmosphere for all of us to grow. I have always had your best interest in mind by being passionate, supportive, caring and safe no matter what.”

Heidorn added: “I would never want any of you to feel unsafe or unloved. You are amazing children and I am proud of every moment we have shared. I know I cannot change people’s minds for those who are angry, upset and have lost faith in me, and I am sorry for that because I have always had the best interests of my students and the community in mind, and it was never my intention to scare or harm them or their families.”

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Federal ICE officers walking down a suburban street. (Christopher Dilts/Getty Images)

Fox News Digital reached out to the district for specific comment on the rule Heidorn violated by posting support for law enforcement on Facebook and whether teachers who publicly “disrupt” or antagonize ICE will be treated the same way. The prefecture did not respond.

When reached for comment, Bovey rebuffed the suggestion that he had inflamed the situation with his Facebook video, saying: “Personally, I wish the professor well.”

“The teacher used his First Amendment right to make a statement,” Bovey said. “Others used their first amendment rights to comment on the situation. The school board took appropriate steps to follow due process of investigation into a situation that had negatively impacted the children’s education. The public used their first amendment rights to comment (for and against) the school board’s actions, and then the teacher made the decision to resign. Ultimately, although there were frustrations on both sides, fueled by inaccurate social media posts, This is how democracy works.”

Bovey added: “Despite many vitriolic comments from people across the country who have been misinformed by social media, our local community seems remarkably unified. »

Heidorns said he always took his role “extremely seriously” during his 14-year career and that his reputation was “built on showing up every day, being reliable, fair and truly invested in the growth of my students.”

“My students’ successes are what have motivated me more than you could imagine,” Heidorn said. “I never brought politics into my teaching; I always focused on my students. Losing that connection hurts more than anything, and I want people to know that it was never my intention to harm or divide anyone.”

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The “Greetings from Chicago” mural lights up a street in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood on March 30, 2018. (Patrick Gorski/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Going forward, Heidorn will have to inform future school districts he applies to that he resigned and explain why, leaving any potential for his continued career in the field unclear.

“I really don’t know what’s next for me because teaching has been, up until now, all I’ve ever wanted to do,” he explained. “It’s all I studied for and teaching is what defined me. I even advanced my education with a master’s degree in educational leadership because I wanted to become the best teacher I could be.”

“That said, I am exploring options in education or related fields, but I am also taking time to heal and learn from this experience. I want people to know that I am grateful for the outpouring of support from those who have contacted me, donated, or shared my story. It reminds me that most people value fairness and second chances. I am committed to moving forward in a positive way and continuing to contribute to children’s lives in any way I can.”