Ex-LFHS Employee Pleads Guilty To Theft, Gets Judgement Deferred

WAUKEGAN, IL — A Lake Forest High School employee who was caught misappropriating more than $2,600 in school funds pleaded guilty last month as part of a deferred prosecution agreement.

Chris Morehead, 56, of Vernon Hills, entered a negotiated plea of guilty on June 24 to a single count of felony theft in exchange for his entry into the Lake County State's Attorney's Office's alternative prosecution program, according to court records.

Morehead was first hired by District 115 in April 1990 as a paraprofessional handling intramural sports. Later, he became a coach for various teams, eventually becoming a full-time teacher in 2012. At the time of his arrest, he was the assistant athletic director for Lake Forest High School.

According to employment records, the tenured administrator had an annual base salary of nearly $117,000 for the 2018-19 school year as the school's "wellness instructional director." He was due to retire in 2023 and the district had agreed to fully cover his retirement contribution.

Over Thanksgiving break in 2018, an administrator in the district's business office noticed $2,280 in cash and $400 in checks that should have been deposited in accounts for the school's intramural sports program was missing, according to police reports.

After first trying to cover up the theft, Morehead told Security Director Lane Linder on Feb. 8 that he "did not want to lie any longer," police said. He then admitted taking the money home and hiding it in a shirt drawer.

Morehead told investigators he spent about $1,000 of the money for costs associated with an engagement party for his daughter, according to police reports. He said he planned to replay the money, which he "borrowed," because he was "having financial issues" at the time.

In a message posted to an online fundraiser to pay for his legal fees, Morehead said the theft was totally out of character.

"I want you to know that my actions were never to deprive the school district or students of any funds," Morehead said. "In fact I had the money to turn in on that same day. The district decided to follow a more legal path."

After 23 years teaching in Lake Bluff and Lake Forest, Morehead said in the message, he came to realize "the long hours and continuous changes in responsibilities was beginning to take a toll on me mentally. Minimal time off throughout the year was getting tiring."

Morehead said he was searching for his life's next chapter and direction after his arrest effectively pushed forward his planned retirement by four years.

At a special meeting Feb. 21, the board accepted Morehead's resignation. According to minutes from the meeting, Board President Reese Marcusson emphasized that board members take oaths to protect the district's assets and he was "not able to decide the extent of the charges." The board directed its attorneys to perform a forensic audit and report back once it's complete.

The alternative prosecution program is open to people who plead guilty to certain non-violent crimes for the first time. By accepting responsibility for their conduct, those accepted into the program have an opportunity to avoid having a felony conviction entered permanently on their record, according to a description of the program from the Lake County State's Attorney's Office website.

Morehead, whose attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment, is due back in court Dec. 9 for a status hearing as part of the deferred prosecution program.

Earlier:

• Daughter's Engagement Party Costs Led To LFHS Theft, Police Told
• Lake Forest High School Assistant Athletic Director Charged With Stealing From School Fund