Ex-Teacher's Arrest Over Hidden School Bathroom Camera Forces CPS to Review Hiring Practices

CHICAGO, IL — The arrest of a former music teacher accused of hiding a motion-activated camera in a Near North Side school bathroom has Chicago Public Schools examining its hiring practices after it was discovered the instructor had past convictions for prowling and peeping, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Elliott Nott, 41, was charged last week with child pornography and seven felony counts of unauthorized videotaping. The charges come after a camera was found Sept. 7 in a public bathroom at Ogden International School, 24 W. Walton Street, where Nott worked as a music teacher and track and field coach, according to Chicago police. In a message earlier this month, Ogden's principal informed parents that a staff employee had been fired after a camera-like device was found in a staff bathroom.

Originally, prosecutors said Nott, who was hired at Ogden in 2009, had a clean criminal record, but his prior convictions in New Hampshire and Illinois were discovered after the charges were filed, the Tribune reports.

In 1993, Nott was convicted of misdemeanor "window peeping" and sentenced to 18 months supervision after an incident in Normal, IL, the report stated. In 2005, he was found guilty of prowling and loitering while he was a track and field coach at New England College in Henniker, NH, the report added. Nott was fined $300 and ordered not to have any contact with the victim in that case, according to the report.

RELATED: Ex-Music Teacher Charged With Child Porn After Camera Found in School Bathroom

The former teacher's previous convictions are not relevant to the current charges and shouldn't be used to sentionalize the case, a lawyer for Nott told the Tribune.

Although they can't legally comment on whether they knew about Nott's criminal history when he was hired, CPS officials are taking a hard look at how it vets employment candidates, the report stated. Required CPS background checks include fingerprinting and state and federal criminal database reviews, the report added.

"We are deeply troubled by the serious allegations facing Mr. Nott, and we are conducting a full review of the situation to ensure proper hiring protocols were followed in 2009," CPS spokesman Passman wrote in a statement. "If in the course of this review it is determined that the current hiring process can be strengthened, we will not hesitate to revise our procedures."

More via the Chicago Tribune

Elliott Nott (photo via the Chicago Police Department)

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