In November 2016, Doster resigned from his position as superintendent of the Flossmoor School District in Flossmoor, Illinois, due to “philosophical differences in direction and approach that could not be reconciled,” according to reporting at the time from The Daily Southtown newspaper.

Less than six years later, in May 2022, Doster resigned as superintendent at Beach Park School District in the northern suburbs of Chicago. According to the Chicago Tribune, Doster’s resignation came after complaints from staff of a management style “rooted in intimidation and bullying.”

Reporting from the Illinois Education Association alleges that while Doster was at the helm in Beach Park, 20 middle school teachers resigned, the entire information technology department quit over ethics concerns and four out of five principals left.

“We’ve made it through two incredibly difficult years of a pandemic, and I honestly thought things couldn’t get any worse, but Dr. Doster has somehow found a way,” Susan Kinsman, who was the president of the Beach Park Education Association at the time, said to the IEA. “He’s created a toxic environment at our schools. Our working conditions are our students’ learning conditions. They deserve better, and so do we.”

FDSCD School Board President Stu Cochrane said Friday that he is not concerned about incoming Superintendent Josh Porter’s decision to hire Doster. He added that the board relies on the work of the search consultants from Grundmeyer Leadership Services, of Ankeny, to make sure candidates are properly vetted and that those responsible for hiring have what they need to make an informed choice.

“We’re not the professionals, we rely on the professionals to make that decision,” Cochrane said. “I have confidence in Josh.”

Cassidie Black, of Fort Dodge, has publicly shared her concerns about Doster’s hiring. A public post on her Facebook page includes a long thread of district parents asking questions and expressing their own concerns. Black has a child currently in the Fort Dodge schools and will have another in school next year. She said she’s spoken to several other parents, as well as several school employees who are concerned about this decision. Black told The Messenger that the school employees are afraid to speak out, so she’s serving as their voice.

Black said she’s mostly concerned about the allegations of a “toxic environment” when Doster was at Beach Park and she worries a similar situation could lead to teachers leaving Fort Dodge.

“What happens when our kids show up to school and there’s literally no teachers?” Black said.

On Friday, Black reached out to members of the school board and said she initially received an “extremely upsetting and extremely disappointing” reply from Cochrane. She said they were eventually able to have a “good conversation” through text message, but she still has questions. She said she understands that everybody has flaws, but thai is more than that.

“It’s not like I Googled his driving record and he ran a stop sign,” she said. “I don’t care what he does with his personal life. Literally everything that very easily came to light through a single Google search directly affects the job in our district. I just don’t understand how that’s not a red flag. I just need more clarification on it. Something just doesn’t sit right with me.”

According to Cochrane, Porter felt Doster “provided effective explanation” about his past, and that consultant Trent Grundmeyer “thought he effectively addressed concerns into his past.”

“We have administrative leadership for a reason,” Cochrane said. “We rely on their professional judgment.”

There were 15 applicants for the position, Cochrane said, and those applications were screened and narrowed down to three candidates who were then interviewed by the interview committee. Of those three candidates, Doster was the one Porter wanted to move forward with, Cochrane said.

“We all know he’s got some baggage in his background,” Cochrane said. “We’re all betting a little bit.”

When hiring an outside candidate, there’s always an “unknown,” he said, but ultimately the school board has to depend on the superintendent’s judgment in the situation.

“Is Josh going to have to answer to the board if [Doster]’s a failure? Yes,” Cochrane said.

Cochrane also noted that with his hire, Doster will be on a “probationary contract,” which allows the school to sever ties with an administrator with no consequences and without having to buy out the remainder of the contract. This is the same with any hire, he said, including Porter, and a probationary contract is typically for one or two years. Cochrane said Friday he was unsure of the length of Doster’s probationary contract.

Cochrane said he appreciates parents and community members in the district sharing their concerns and interest in the process.

“We want a vested community,” he said.

However, he noted that while school board meetings are public, they are not a forum for individuals to “rant” about others they may have conflict with.

On Friday, The Messenger also reached out to the remaining members of the school board, as well as Porter and interim Superintendent Dr. Denise Schares, for comment. None responded.

Doster’s hiring will be voted on by the school board at its regular meeting on Monday night. It is part of the board’s consent agenda and is not expected to be up for discussion.