We are going to level with you. You were lied to. This is no longer about what happened on September 25, 2024, when a registered sex offender was reported in the DPM school zone. The real issue is what followed:
Director of Safety and Security Chuck Walsh spread misinformation about the sex offender in the Deerpath Middle School zone.
When presented with evidence, Lake Forest Schools Superintendent Matthew Montgomery refused to correct it, doubling down and defending the false claims.
We want to acknowledge that this message comes weeks after the incident. We hoped behind-the-scenes discussions would lead Lake Forest Schools Superintendent Matthew Montgomery and the Lake Forest School Board to take responsibility and correct the false information shared with the community.
Unfortunately, despite multiple emails from Parents Care presenting clear evidence—including police reports and the Lake Forest Patch article—Dr. Montgomery has chosen to stand by Mr. Chuck Walsh’s false claims and refused to issue a correction or apology.
This breach of trust demands accountability from our elected school board members.
Background on how Lake Forest Schools Superintendent Matthew Montgomery Failed to Uphold Community Trust
In a community-wide email sent on October 3, Mr. Walsh made demonstrably false claims about the sex offender incident, including that it occurred outside school hours, no children were present, and the offender was arrested on-site.
The Problem? None of it was true.
Police reports and security footage all contradicted Mr. Walsh’s email: the incident occurred during school hours while children were outside and the offender was not escorted out of the school zone- he was arrested until five days later.
Even the Lake Forest Patch called out the school district for lying: “Walsh claimed he only learned about the incident on the day Parents Care sent out an email, which the school administrator ironically described as "sensationalized and inaccurate mass communication."
How is this  Lake Forest Schools Superintendent Matthew Montgomery's Fault?
Parents Care emailed (three times) Lake Forest Schools Superintendent Matthew Montgomery with this evidence and urged him to correct the record and apologize to the community. Instead, Lake Forest Schools Superintendent Matthew Montgomery doubled down on Mr. Walsh’s false statements, refusing to address the truth or take responsibility.
The school board was also notified but has taken no public action to hold anyone accountable.
Our Community Deserves Better
This is not the example we expect from our district’s leaders. In our schools, we teach children to value honesty, own their mistakes, and make things right when they go wrong. How can we hold students to these values when Lake Forest Schools Superintendent Matthew Montgomery refuses to model them?
We are calling on  Lake Forest Schools Superintendent Matthew Montgomery:
Apologize for sharing false information with the community.
Correct the record with full transparency.
Hold those responsible accountable for their actions.
If he does not, we ask the school board to provide the oversight they were elected to provide and hold him accountable.
We regret sharing this news, but silence is not an option when trust in our leadership has been so deeply compromised. Transparency and accountability are essential to restoring that trust.
Parents Care remains committed to advocating for our children, teachers, and community. We will continue to demand the honesty and integrity that our schools—and our students—deserve.
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