A Chicago Public Schools employee was kicked out of class after students — including one as young as five years old — had their mouths taped shut in a classroom incident, NBC 5 has learned Investigates.
The March 18 incident happened at Carter G. Woodson South Elementary School in Bronzeville. An internal investigation is underway within Chicago Public Schools, according to a police report obtained by NBC 5 Investigates.
Chicago Public Schools declined to provide details about what exactly happened, how many students were involved or who specifically was responsible.
But in an emailed statement three days after NBC 5 Investigates began asking questions, a district spokesperson said, “Chicago Public Schools (CPS) prioritizes safety and well-being -be one of our students. CPS follows all district policies and procedures when responding to issues.
On April 8, NBC 5 Investigates filed a Freedom of Information Act request requesting a copy of the incident report.
The same day — three weeks after students’ mouths were taped shut — Chicago Public Schools sent a letter to parents containing vague details about an unnamed staff member who allegedly “had inappropriate relationships with students.” The allegations do not involve sexual misconduct. An investigation was initiated by the Office of Student Protection and Title IX, and this individual was expelled during the investigation,” the letter read in part.
Rachel Beverly said her 5-year-old daughter, Amyna, was among the students whose mouth was taped shut.
In an interview with NBC 5 Investigates, Beverly said she was upset that the school principal called her the day after the incident and only received a redacted copy of the report. incident – although his daughter was directly involved.
According to a copy of that redacted report, which was shared with NBC 5 Investigates, when the teacher picked up her students from computer class on March 18, “she observed that a few students’ mouths were covered with duct tape …” The report does not name the staff member, but Beverly said it was a teacher’s aide.
A copy of the police report states that the school “sanctioned {redacted} and she was removed from her daughter’s class.”
Beverly said she was not informed of what happened until the next day and met with the school principal two days later, on March 20.
“Like it shocked me.” It caught me off guard because when the child is in someone else’s care, I expect you to take care of my child like I would my child,” Beverly said at NBC 5 Investigates.
Beverly said she was upset that the school principal told her the incident was part of a classroom “game” in which they didn’t want students to blurt out answers to questions.
Beverly told NBC 5 Investigates she doesn’t accept the explanation.
“Even so, it’s not an excuse to put duct tape over the mouth of a 5-year-old or any child,” she said.
The school principal declined to comment and referred NBC 5 inquiries to the CPS communications office.
Rachel’s father, Raphael Beverly, told NBC 5 Investigates that he spoke with someone at the Illinois State Board of Education about the issue.
“It’s a very strange and peculiar situation,” Raphael Beverly said. “And every time a parent requests an incident report about their child and you are denied access to it, it arouses even more suspicion.”
ISBE did not respond to multiple requests for comment from NBC 5 Investigates over several days. A copy of the letter that was sent to parents on April 8 is below:
Dear Woodson Parents and Families,
The safety of your children is always our top priority, which is why I must inform you of a recently revealed situation. There have been allegations that one of our staff members had inappropriate relationships with students. The allegations do not involve sexual misconduct. An investigation was initiated by the Office of Student Protection and Title IX (OSP), and this individual was expelled during the investigation. The families of affected students have been informed and supports are available to students.
Based on the information gathered during OSP’s investigation, a final decision will be made as to whether it is appropriate for this individual to return to Woodson.
Please know that we take this situation seriously and remain committed to providing your children with a safe and positive learning environment where they can reach their full potential. Please feel free to contact me at tnlittlejohn@cps.edu or (773) 535-1280 if you have any questions or concerns. If you have concerns about student protection, you can contact the Office of Student Protection and Title IX at (773) 535-4400.
Sincerely,
Director Littlejohn
NBC Chicago
