School Lunch Aide Charged With Battery for Pushing Second-Grader to Ground in Cafeteria

GAGES LAKE, IL - A school lunch aide at an elementary school in Gages Lake faces aggravated battery charges for pushing an 8-year-old child to the ground in the cafeteria of the school, police said Thursday.

Peggy Bora, 45, of the 18000 block of West Banbury Drive in unincorporated Gurnee, was taken into custody Thursday after authorities issued a warrant for her arrest on the battery charges. Her bond has been set at $50,000, according to a Lake County Sheriff's Office press release.

Detectives launched an investigation into Bora, a school lunch aide at Woodland Elementary School in Gages Lake, earlier this month after they were notified about an incident involving Bora and a second-grader at the school, according to the news release.

The investigation revealed Bora pushed the 8-year-old student to the ground on two separate occasions. On one of the occasions, after the eight year-old fell, Bora pushed the child’s head into the ground, causing injury, police said.

Bora was immediately placed on leave after school officials learned of the allegations, according to the news release. The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services was notified and also conducted an investigation since incident occurred inside a school.

Bora has been released from jail after posting 10 percent of her $50,000 bail. She is due back in court on May 11.