Former Edwardsville Teacher Speaks at Board Meeting, Says She Ended Career Because of District "Witch Hunt"

EDWARDSVILLE - A former Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7 teacher urged the Board of Education to “do better” following her resignation from the district.

During the public comment section of the Board’s regular meeting on Feb. 23, 2026, Jade Hinnen spoke about her resignation from the school district earlier this year.

“Why would an educator with this much success be suddenly unemployed and speaking at a Board meeting? The answer is the lack of leadership sitting in front of me,” Hinnen said. “Edwardsville School District has been known to quiet its employees, but I can no longer be silenced.”

Hinnen noted that she was “asked to contribute [her] time and knowledge to multiple committees” and that she has “made an impact in our community,” but she ultimately chose to resign following a TikTok fundraising campaign and what she described as a “shoddy” investigation report.

Hinnen said she was asked to delete all TikToks filmed on District #7 property. She argued that this “directive” does not apply to any other employee.

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She spoke directly to Acting Superintendent Dr. Allen Duncan and encouraged him to “reflect on how [he has] handled this situation.” She said she felt the need to “end her career because of a witch hunt organized by a man with way too much power.”

“When I reflect on this truly devastating series of events in my career, I know I’ve done exactly what I want my daughters to do: take up space, make noise, and move on to bigger and better,” Hinnen concluded.

Hinnen’s speech was met with applause from the audience.

The Board of Education does not respond to any questions or comments during the public comment portion of the meeting.

Earlier in the meeting, Duncan shared that the leadership team and District #7 unions will continue “ongoing discussions regarding district policies with specific focus on our social media policy.” He said these conversations began in September and that these policies “apply uniformly to all employees in District #7.”

“This work is centered on clarity, consistency and shared understanding,” he added. “It is important that all staff members not only know our policy, but also understand the rationale behind them and the professional standards that they are designed to uphold.”

For more information, read this story on RiverBender.com.

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