U.S. authorities probing allegations of misconduct at Chicago schools

By Mary Wisniewski CHICAGO (Reuters) - Federal authorities are investigating allegations of misconduct at the Chicago Public Schools and have requested interviews with several employees, a top school official said on Wednesday. Chicago Board of Education President David Vitale did not give any further details in a statement to the media. The nation's third-largest public school district has more than 600 schools and serves about 400,000 students. "We take any allegation of misconduct seriously, and we are fully cooperating with investigators who requested that we not discuss any specifics regarding the ongoing investigation,” Vitale said. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's office was not immediately available for comment. The Chicago school system is struggling financially, facing a projected deficit of $1.1 billion. (Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)