Resignation

Glenn Gess, girls' soccer coach at Haddonfield since 2004, announced his resignation. Gess compiled a career record of 189-18-7 at Haddonfield, including three state Group 2 championships and eight Colonial Conference title. Before that, he started the girls' soccer program at Haddon Township and won a state Group 1 title in 2000. He was named The Inquirer coach of the year in South Jersey girls' soccer after the 2000 and the 2011 seasons. This year, Haddonfield finished 15-2-1 and entered the sectional tournament as the No. 1 seed but lost its opening game to Cinnaminson.

The principal of Sacred Heart High School in Vineland, N.J., resigned Thursday after two educators with whom he had worked in another school district filed lawsuits charging him with sexual harassment. Albert Monillas had been principal at the Catholic high school only since July. Previously, he had been superintendent of the Camden County Technical Schools district. In lawsuits filed last week, two administrators in the Camden County district alleged that Monillas harassed them with off-color comments and e-mails.

WASHINGTON - The top federal prosecutor in New Orleans, the longest-serving U.S. attorney in the country, resigned Thursday amid an investigation into possible prosecutorial misconduct by two of his top deputies. Jim Letten, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana, announced his resignation at a news conference. In an emotional speech, he praised the office and said he would stay on briefly to help with the transition to new leadership. The resignation comes eight months into a scandal that led to a Justice Department investigation of Letten's top deputy and a second veteran prosecutor in connection with anonymous online criticism of the target of a federal inquiry.

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Republican U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, a tea party favorite known for bucking party leaders to back challenges to centrist veterans he didn't view as conservative enough, said Thursday he was resigning to take the helm of a conservative think tank. The South Carolina lawmaker said in a statement that he was stepping down to become president of the Heritage Foundation. His office said his resignation is effective Jan. 1. DeMint was first elected to the Senate in 2004 and easily reelected six years later.

Leanne Krueger-Braneky, the first executive director of the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia, is resigning effective Feb. 1 after eight years leading the advocacy group for locally-owned businesses committed to the triple bottom line of people, planet and profits. She will be joining the Washington-based BALLE (Business Alliance for Local Living Economies) as director of fellowship and alumni, working from her Philadelphia home. SBN's board of directors is conducting an open search for Krueger-Braneky's replacement.

THE HEAD of Catholic education for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Richard McCarron, will retire Feb. 1, the Archdiocese has announced. McCarron, who was with the Archdiocese in educational capacities for 25 years, will remain as a consultant to the education office. "It is time for me to step down so that new leadership can guide and direct the mission of Catholic education," McCarron said. He added that he has "the utmost confidence" that the Office of Catholic Education and the Faith in the Future foundation, which manages 17 Catholic schools and four special-education schools in the Archdiocese, could set a vision "that will enable our schools to grow and flourish in the years ahead.

After only a year and a half, Jeremy Nowak is stepping down as president of the William Penn Foundation. Foundation officials said in a statement that "differences in approach regarding implementation" of William Penn's new strategic plan led to the departure. "Jeremy Nowak guided the William Penn Foundation to understand the challenges the region will face in the coming years and to help position the foundation to focus its resources to meet those challenges," said David Haas, foundation board chairman, in a statement.

CHICAGO - The jockeying to replace Jesse Jackson Jr. began before the ink was dry on the former congressman's resignation letter. Among those expressing an interest: Chicago aldermen, a former NFL linebacker, and a defense attorney who represented R&B singer R. Kelly and former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. But as the field of would-be successors grows to a dozen or more names - one of whom may be another member of the Jackson family - party leaders and political analysts say a stampede of candidates could pose risks for the Democratic stronghold.

CHICAGO - Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., a once-rising political star who has been on a months-long mysterious medical leave for bipolar disorder while facing separate federal investiga–tions, resigned from Congress Wednesday, citing his health problems. Jackson's resignation, just two weeks after voters reelected him to a ninth full term, comes amid a House ethics committee investigation into his dealings with imprisoned ex-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and reports of a new federal probe into possible misuse of campaign money.

Kevin Clash , the puppeteer who played beloved Sesame Street character Elmo for nearly three decades, has resigned amid accusations he had sex with a teenage boy. Clash last week denied claims by a 24-year-old man that he had sex with Clash when he was 16. Clash admitted having a relationship with the man but said it was only after the latter had turned 18. The accuser, recanted his story for a $125,000 settlement, TMZ reports, and agreed to...