School District 'Complicit' With Former Nurse's Actions: Lawyer

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL — While a number of Arlington Heights families were happy to learn a former elementary school nurse was arrested Friday following an investigation into the misuse of prescription drugs belonging to students, their lawyers want the attention now turned to School District 25.

Tory E. Eitz, 48, of the 300 block of West Euclid Avenue, was charged with six felonies — official misconduct (one count) and forgery (five counts) — along with seven counts of endangering the life or health of a child (misdemeanor). She is due back in court Monday.

RELATED: School Nurse Charged In Student Medicine Swap — Arlington Heights PD

"This is one meaningful step in justice, but Tory Eitz's actions did not exist in a vacuum," said Gina A. DeBoni, managing and senior partner at Chicago-based Romanucci & Blandin, who is representing Westgate families who say their children were impacted by this situation. "We need to turn the spotlight now to Arlington Heights District 25 and its administrators and school officials for their willful and reckless conduct and their failure to take accountability."

As Patch reported in April, the family of a student at Westgate hired the law firm after the child's doctor said their blood work showed signs of "excessive aspirin intake," and tested positive for fentanyl.

In May, the Arlington Heights School District 25 Board of Education voted unanimously to terminate the contract of Eitz. The board voted 6-0 in favor of her firing. Eitz had been on leave since April 22.

"The safety and well-being of our students, staff and school community is and always will be our top priority," Dr. Brian Kaye, superintendent of District 25, said in a letter to parents sent out Friday and shared with Patch.

Kaye said the district conducted an "extensive and thorough" review of guidance documents from a number of entities, including the Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Department of Health.

"Based on this review, we made substantial enhancements to update the District’s medication management procedures," Kaye said. "Parent representatives from District 25 were given an opportunity to review and give feedback on these updates."

He added that the district's department of student services presented procedural changes being made to policies following the incident at its latest board of education meeting last Tuesday.

Romanucci & Blandin said it is continuing to conduct its own civil investigation into the case and is seeking a review of the situation by the attorney's general's office. The firm described District 25 as shifting sole blame to Eitz, calling the move "disgusting" and that the children and their families "deserve better."

"We learned that District 25 administrators and school officials knew of improper administration of medication, missing medication, and the failure to follow protocols when that medication went missing," DeBoni said. "This goes back as far as the 2022-2023 school year. We believe this evidence is a clear indication of District 25’s complicity in Tori Eitz's actions. Their willful and reckless actions put the well-being and safety of many children at risk."

RELATED:

• Nurse Fired At Arlington Heights School Over Medicine Swap — District
• Child Positive For Fentanyl After Medicine Swap At Arlington Heights School — Lawyer