Hinsdale Teacher Damaged Signs With Car: School

HINSDALE, IL – A Hinsdale Central High School teacher last year intentionally damaged school property by using his car to run over signs, the school board says.

On Oct. 28, science teacher Eric Jensen was given a written reprimand for the incident. The district said the conduct was "clearly disrespectful."

Patch obtained the documents through a public records request. Jensen has been a teacher in the school for nearly 25 years.

Earlier this month, the Hinsdale High School District 86 board voted 6-0 to give Jensen a "notice of remedial warning" after what it said was another violation of its policies.

In the notice, the board said Jensen ran over signs that read, "No Entry Staff Parking Only."

At the time, Jensen was directed to use better judgment, drive in a safe and respectful manner on school grounds, and report any incidents of damage to school property.

On May 31, Jensen told Assistant Superintendent Cheryl Moore that the statement that he "knowingly and intentionally damaged District property" was false.

Moore said she would convey his objection to the board.

"To be clear, you did admit to intentionally hitting the signs with your car. I assume you are stating your intent was not to damage them, just knock them down," Moore said.

Jensen responded, "In no way would I have continued to hit the signs had I known they were being damaged. Period."

He did not indicate why he was hitting the signs with his car.

In the notice, the district said students reported that Jensen made inappropriate jokes and comments about their appearances and made culturally insensitive comments about them.

The notice also said Jensen made inappropriate jokes about students massaging his shoulders.

For the conduct with students, Jensen was given a letter of reprimand April 26. He was directed to communicate with students in a positive and professional manner that maintains "proper boundaries and to refrain from using sarcasm with students," the notice said.

Despite the warning, the notice said, Jensen failed to follow the directives. The district then referred to an incident about a month after the reprimand. It blacked out the part about what he did.

In an interview with Patch last week, Jensen said he got into trouble most recently after he signed a girl's yearbook "shmo." He said she caught him while he was carrying a computer and other items.

He said he was referring to "Joe Schmo," but spelled it wrong.

"It meant nothing. It was a non-sequitur," Jensen said.

But it turns out that friends of the girl brought the message to officials' attention, Jensen said. According to the Urban Dictionary, "shmo" means "dumb person."

"I didn't know that was the definition in the Urban Dictionary. Other adults I have talked to didn't know either," Jensen said.

Jensen said there was a previous incident involving him in which administrators warned that they would go to the board if something else happened. He declined to describe what happened.

"If I sneeze wrong next year, then I'm out," he said.

Nothing in the notice indicates District 86 went to the police about the sign damage.

Asked about the incident, district spokesman Chris Jasculca said the district refrains from commenting on personnel matters.

Jensen could not be reached for comment.