Fenton High School district hires law firm to investigate sexual abuse allegations

BENSENVILLE, Ill. - The Fenton Community High School District 100 board voted Wednesday night to hire Franczek PC, a Chicago-based educational law firm, to assess sexual abuse allegations against a former teacher.

"The steps the district took with each anonymous report about the staff member in question and whether or not those steps are consistent with the district policies and procedures and state and federal law during that period," said school board president Cary Lewis. Lewis added that disciplinary action against district employees could follow if the investigation reveals the need for it.

The teacher at the center of the allegations has been fired, and there is an ongoing police investigation. The school board went into closed session Wednesday night to discuss hiring the law firm.

"We have to make sure that it doesn’t die down. We have to find the root cause, what went wrong, what do we have to do different, and what do we do to prevent this from happening in the future," said one parent during the public comment session.

The alleged sexual misconduct dates back to 2011. Parents and students have packed previous school board meetings, demanding changes and accusing school leaders of ignoring complaints.

Earlier this year, the superintendent was placed on paid administrative leave over his handling of the allegations. The superintendent will remain on paid administrative leave while the investigation is ongoing.

Franczek PC is expected to start their investigation immediately, although the duration of the investigation is currently unknown.