As students and staff returned to Sandridge Elementary School from spring break Monday, the school's former principal publicly apologized to his wife of 30 years and said the "persons who invaded my privacy need to be held accountable."

The words were Leroy Coleman's first about the explicit DVD that began to circulate last week and showed the former Sandridge Elementary District 172 administrator and a former science teacher having sex in a school office.

The recording showed Coleman, a 56-year-old Flossmoor resident, and science teacher Janet Lofton, a 41-year-old resident of Lynwood, engaged in sexual activity at various times and dates in what appeared to be December and January.

Another woman, identified as teacher's aide and substitute teacher Anjayla Reed, also appears in the recording on a separate occasion being hugged and touched by Coleman.

All three educators resigned their positions last week.

With Cook County Sheriff's Department police on hand, students arrived at Sandridge Elementary School as about 25 disgruntled parents staged a demonstration directly across the street and shouted sentiments such as "Fire Leroy Coleman!" at cars and trucks passing by.

Authorities kept parents and the media from school grounds, and some parents kept their children home from school.

One parent, Bonita Stack, said half of the children at Sandridge don't understand what has happened and now are wondering why their principal is not at school.

Sue Dykstra, whose first- and third-graders are in public school for the first time at Sandridge, said she thinks Coleman, Lofton and Reed should have been fired and not been allowed to resign.

"What if one of the kids would have walked in on them (at school)?" she asked.

Later that afternoon, Coleman read from a prepared statement in front of media at his home, and later in the office of his Matteson attorney, Raymond G. Wigell. In the statement, Coleman accepted full responsibility for "my inappropriate acts with a consenting adult."

"Without denigrating my wrongdoing and my acceptance of responsibility, the persons who invaded my privacy need to be held accountable," Coleman said. "It is not for me to comment on the motivation of the persons who knew or should have known of the placement of the video camera on District 172 property. While my actions have hurt my wife, their actions have hurt my family, friends and a lifetime of educating children."

Coleman said he will continue to cooperate with the Sheriff's Department's investigation.

With the media interest and commotion surrounding the district's only school, Superintendent Diane Dyer-Dawson said the day went well with the plan that was in place.

"It was really a good day," she said, adding the Exceptional Children Have Opportunities cooperative sent two social workers to help out.

Sandridge also had its psychologist, social worker and social worker intern available to students.

Dyer-Dawson also spoke with teachers and with students in fifth through eighth grades.

Many of the students were asking questions about whether certain end-of-the-year activities, such as the science fair, would still take place, Dyer-Dawson said. The students were assured that the events will go on as planned, she said.

However, this week's eighth-grade parent meeting and Fun Fair will be rescheduled, Dyer-Dawson said.

Sandridge will be getting an interim principal for the remainder of the school year, Dyer-Dawson said, although it is unknown when that person will be in place.

A special session of the District 172 School Board is scheduled for Friday. It is expected to meet behind closed doors to discuss personnel and student discipline, Dyer-Dawson said.

For the full version of Leroy Coleman's statement, see Page A7 or visit nwi.com.