Besieged county school chief quits
May 8, 2010
Regional Schools Supt. Charles Flowers -- accused of stealing hundreds of thousands in public money -- resigned his post Friday, four months after he was charged with criminal wrongdoing and 10 months after he was sued for fraud by Cook County prosecutors.The Suburban Cook County Regional Office of Education, which he headed for nearly three years, was permanently closed by state lawmakers earlier in the week.
Flowers' resignation follows a long investigation by the SouthtownStar into the office's finances. The paper uncovered a bloated payroll and alleged gross misuse of public money, including taking out hefty cash advances on the office's credit card, using taxpayer money to dine at swanky restaurants and buying plane tickets to Mississippi for his children.
In January, Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez charged Flowers with felony theft and official misconduct, alleging that in a span of about two years, Flowers skimmed close to $400,000 from the regional schools office.