North Cook News

Lauren “Big Boobs” Fagel is apparently involved in an Equal Employment Opportunity lawsuit against Glenbrook High School District 225.

Fagel resigned as principal from Glenbrook South High School in mid-2021 after multiple accusations of on-the-job harassment toward school employees.

In its denial of the FOIA the school district noted it could not provide information “before the EEOC has completed its investigation.”

“More specifically, under the rules of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and pursuant to the federal Freedom of Information Act, requests for files/documents made before the EEOC has completed its investigation and issued a right to sue letter are denied pursuant to exemption (b)(7)(A) of the federal Freedom of Information Act. See 5U.S.C Section 552 (b)(7)(A) and 29 C.F.R. 1610.17 and 1601.22 of the EEOC regulations,” Glenbrook School District 22 said in an email.

Noble Schools – a charter school – defended its hiring of Fagel after she was forced out at District 225.

Fagel’s sister, Director of Executive Operations Brooke Sternfield Semel,  is an administrator at Noble Schools.

“An unconfirmed allegation from a previous place of employment is not a factor that would bar her, or anyone else, from employment. Noble does not have visibility into the status of these allegations and cannot comment,” Claudia Rodriguez, Chief of Public Affairs at Noble Schools, told Chicago City Wire.

Fagel earned the nickname “Big Boobs” from parent activists after a whistleblower lawsuit was filed over her use of sexual terminology toward staff. It was a term she allegedly used to describe a former employee’s wife.

“It is/was a constant reference,” notes from a whistleblower said. “This is clear objectification, occurred (s) over the course of several years to a captive audience and said simply to be vindictive.”

The whistleblower recently exposed former Fagel for making blatantly sexual comments to employees, including about their physical characteristics.

The district agreed to pay her $53,000 and to cover her health care costs for the remainder of 2021 when she resigned.

Some of the school district documents included profane text messages from Fagel to other employees as well as Fagel’s warnings to members of Glenbrook South’s Administrative Council against including opinions about a reopening plan.