Cairo school superintendent investigated following assault

CAIRO, Ill. -- The Cairo School Board plans an investigation to decide if Superintendent Robert Isom should keep his job.

Isom, 54, was suspended last week after police investigated a domestic violence dispute at his home. A Cairo police report said Isom was detained on allegations that he committed domestic battery.

Isom was released after the alleged victim decided not to file charges, according to Alexander County State's Attorney Jeff Farris.

Connie Williams, principal of Bennett School, has been appointed interim administrator to run the system until a decision is made about retaining Isom.

Vernon Stubblefield, president of the school board, said an attorney will be hired to conduct the investigation and present its findings to the board at a hearing.

Stubblefield said no timetable was set for making a decision.

He emphasized that the investigation is not to determine guilt or innocence in the domestic violence complaint, but is in compliance with a board policy to review any serious incident and determine if an employee should continue working for the system.

Isom is a career educator who has served in the Cairo systems top job since 1998. His salary during the last academic year was $86,500. He came to Cairo from the Lovejoy School District in Brooklyn, Ill., just outside East St. Louis.