The Chicago Public Schools Board of Education could potentially vote this week on a series of policy changes meant to address teacher-student misconduct.
The proposed changes come three months after an NBC 5 Investigates’ series “Lessons and Betrayal” exposed allegations from former students at Little Village Lawndale High School who say they felt they were groomed into sexual relationships with their former educators.
Just last month, the CPS inspector general completed its final report that substantiated many of the allegations raised by former students against their educators.
In late June, the CPS Office of Inspector General completed a three-year investigation that substantiated allegations of sexual misconduct against former Little Village Lawndale High School educators Dennis Kass, Charles Smith, Hans Krueger and Danny Pena.
The report also noted that inspector general had already substantiated allegations against four other now-former educators at Little Village Lawndale High School.
Taken together, the inspector general noted that: “eight staff members engaging in sexual misconduct or targeting former student suggests a systemic problem.”
While the inspector general’s final report found insufficient evidence that Smith and Kass groomed students, the report indicated that their conduct was unbecoming of employees and violated various CPS policies. Krueger was found to have groomed a student; the investigation also found that Pena exchanged “sexually electronic communications with a 2016 Infinity high school graduate.” Infinity is one of four schools that make up the Little Village Lawndale campus.
The most notable changes being proposed by the board including adjusting CPS policy to ban all CPS employees – including teachers – from using personal emails or social media accounts to communicate with current students or recent graduates up to a year after they graduate.
The board is expected to take up a vote Thursday night that would approve a public comment period for changes to both student and staff policies.
The district is already considering expanding professional boundary standards for teachers to include recent graduates up to a year after they leave the district.
“Next thing you know, I realized I was groomed,” said a former Little Village Lawndale High School graduate who spoke to NBC 5 Investigates this spring.
“It was very easy to target people at that high school,” said another Little Village Lawndale High School graduate who said she heard complaints from friends and witnessed the behavior of some of the accused educators.
All four educators named in the report have been placed on permanent “Do Not Hire” lists by Chicago Public Schools and the results of the inspector general’s report were forwarded to the Illinois State Board of Education.
The board’s proposed policy changes appear to mirror the recommendations by the inspector general to address teacher-student boundaries and restricting communications with recent graduates.
Krueger and Pena have not responded to numerous attempts by NBC 5 Investigates to contact them.
Stephanie Nathanson, an attorney for former Infinity Charles Smith said: “there was no evidence to support the false allegations made against Mr. Smith.”
In an emailed statement, she went on to write:
“The report’s findings were tainted as it was largely formulated and drafted by a former employee who was allegedly fired for abusive and biased practices used during the initial interviews with my client. Mr. Smith was denied due process and targeted. He will be taking legal action in that regard. As to the proposed policies, as a distinguished leader, my client has always and remains committed to the safety of all students.”
And the inspector general’s report says Dennis Kass took exception with comments made by a former CPS investigator, who was dismissed after interviewing Smith and Kass.
According to the inspector general’s report, Kass alleged the investigator’s questions and comments tainted the investigation.
The inspector general disagreed, finding that Kass’ behavior and that of other educators violated CPS policies.
A CPS spokeswoman refused to answer specifically about what spurred this potential policy shift, saying that there are “multiple things go into {CPS} policy and procedures and how they are implemented.”
