SOUTH WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. — Parkland School Board on Tuesday accepted district Director of Performing Arts Frank Anonia’s resignation, effective June 21.
Anonia recently was the subject of an internal investigation, according to an email from Superintendent Mark Madson obtained by LehighValleyNews.com.
The board accepted Anonia’s resignation as part of a group of personnel matters presented to the board. Neither Madson nor any members of the board spoke about his resignation.
“Parents have a right to know their kids are safe and not being exposed to a lot of this stuff."Former school board candidate Laura Warmkessel
The only person who directly mentioned Anonia during the meeting was Laura Warmkessel, a former school board candidate who said during public comment that parents are “really concerned” about the situation.
Warmkessel also said a teacher recently was arrested at Springhouse Middle School for allegedly possessing alcohol.
Arrest records confirm that science teacher Michael Heimbach was charged with “public drunkenness and similar misconduct” on May 31.
“Parents have a right to know their kids are safe and not being exposed to a lot of this stuff,” Warmkessel said.
Madson did not directly address either incident in his response to Warmkessel’s comment.
“We do everything we need to be appropriate, and we do communicate with our families as well, as we have in the situation that you had brought up.”Superintendent Mark Madson
“Certainly when we have challenges and things come up, we address them. We handle them immediately,” Madson said.
“We do everything we need to be appropriate, and we do communicate with our families as well, as we have in the situation that you had brought up.”
Madson said in an interview that the district will start the process to find a new performing arts director “immediately” and hopes to find a replacement before the beginning of the next school year.
Anonia had worked with the district since 2007, first as its choral director and then as the performing arts director since 2021.
Anonia still is certified to teach in Pennsylvania, according to the state’s educator certification search.
Investigation into Anonia
When asked for more details about the investigation into Anonia and whether any information would be made public, Madson said he could not comment on personnel matters.
The email from Madson about the investigation, dated April 25, said “allegations involving Mr. Anonia” prompted it, but did not say what those allegations were.
On April 11, 29-year-old William Marshall, who lived with Anonia, was sentenced in Lehigh County to 11½ to 23 months in county prison for possessing child pornography.
Marshall is a 2013 graduate of Parkland High School and a former student of Anonia's. He was later placed on the state’s Megan’s Law registry of sex offenders.
On April 17, Anonia was deposed in a lawsuit that alleges the district knew another teacher was sexually assaulting students but did nothing to stop it, said the plaintiffs’ attorney Stewart Ryan.
The lawsuit was brought by five former students against the Parkland School District, Palisades School District and former teacher and soccer coach Christian Willman.
