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* Block Club Chicago last week…
Chicago Public Schools knew about allegations of sex abuse at a Logan Square school for years — and the district recently promoted a principal who knew about the abuse and did nothing to stop it, records show. […]
An explosive inspector general report Friday revealed wide-ranging sexual abuse and a cover up at Marine Leadership Academy. The report describes sexual abuse and inappropriate contact between students and teachers, the “grooming” of students who later had personal relationships with staffers upon their graduation, sexual harassment and retaliation. The report also alleges those in charge attempted to cover up this behavior.
* Also from Block Club Chicago…
A state bill aimed at closing a loophole that doesn’t criminalize some sexual misconduct in schools could soon become law after two years of advocacy — and as a sexual abuse scandal unfolds at a Logan Square school.
The bill — HB1975, also known as Faith’s Law — was sent to Gov. JB Pritzker’s office Monday, just days after a Chicago Public Schools inspector general report exposed sexual abuse, misconduct, harassment and grooming at Marine Leadership Academy in Logan Square. […]
The bill, filed by Rep. Michelle Mussman, a Democrat representing suburban Schaumburg, would expand the state’s criminal code to make it illegal for school employees to groom students for sexual relationships. It also increases protections for sexual abuse survivors and their families.
Grooming in Illinois law is defined as luring a child into unlawful sex using the internet. The bill would update the definition to include in-person interactions and written communication, said Faith Colson, the bill’s namesake. Colson was sexually abused by a teacher about 20 years ago while in high school in Schaumburg. […]
CPS CEO Pedro Martinez pointed to the current law last week as one of the major challenges of the Marine Leadership Academy case. Multiple adults groomed students for sexual relationships, but, in some cases, there was no indication sex acts occurred until students graduated and were legally adults. That meant there is little recourse to prosecute them, Martinez said.
The bill is expected to be signed into law.
* From this past March…
In 2001, Faith Colson was a 17-year-old student at Schaumburg High School, where she was a varsity athlete and a good student with lots of friends. But something else was happening to Colson: She was being groomed by a teacher to be sexually manipulated.
There were warning signs, Colson and others said in police interviews years later that led to the arrest and 2019 guilty plea of former teacher Ronald L. Williams on charges of criminal sexual abuse.
Other teachers recalled hearing about the inappropriate relationship, including one who said Williams told him about it, according to police reports from 2018.
This is where Colson believes the problem lies, and it’s why she has worked with state Rep. Michelle Mussman, a Democrat from Schaumburg, to write legislation, HB 1975, known as Faith’s Law.
The bill is here.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Nov 29, 21 @ 10:43 am
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Maybe they should look into increasing penalties and or fines for mandatory reported who do not report
Comment by DuPage Saint Monday, Nov 29, 21 @ 11:01 am
Do you really think Democrats will be increasing penalties for crimes in Illinois?
Comment by Lucky Pierre Monday, Nov 29, 21 @ 12:21 pm
=Do you really think Democrats will be increasing penalties for crimes in Illinois?=
Hmm, I remember a certain former ILGOP governor that also signed some social justice legislation. But you were ok with that.
Fraud.
Comment by JS Mill Monday, Nov 29, 21 @ 12:36 pm
Shortages in certified staff and qualified substitutes may lead to relaxed background checks for potential hires. Some school systems have so many vacancies that they will hire anyone to fill vacant positions.
This could lead to dire consequences for students and place students in harms’s way.
Comment by Rudy’s teeth Monday, Nov 29, 21 @ 1:09 pm
First of all, DuPage Saint, I think the bigger issue is how many mandated reporters are actually prosecuted for failure to report? Fines and penalties don’t matter a hill of beans unless prosecutors file charges.
Secondly, if I’ve learned anything from observing IL government it’s that there are some goofy loopholes in laws. I never would have thought that if a teacher texts or emails a student attempting to groom that student that’s illegal, but going old school and writing a note or talking to them is perfectly legal as long as nothing happens prior to the student turning 18.
Comment by MyTwoCents Monday, Nov 29, 21 @ 5:00 pm