Teacher Traded Alcohol For Sex With Underage Student: Prosecutor

BURBANK, IL — A Cook County judge set bail at $750,000 for a kindergarten teacher at a private Baptist school in Burbank, who is accused of exchanging sex for alcohol with an underage student, and sending nude photos and videos of herself to a second student at the school via Snapchat. Shannon Griffin, 49, of Oak Lawn, is facing a multitude of felony charges, including criminal sexual assault, solicitation of child pornography, distribution of harmful materials and grooming. Griffin appeared in court wearing a sleeveless pink dress with a decorative collar. She was arrested this week after a monthlong investigation by Cook County Sheriff's Police.

Griffin was a kindergarten teacher at Jordan Baptist School, a private K-12 school located at 5040 W 87th St., Burbank, where her husband, Thomas, serves as the church pastor. As of Tuesday evening, the school and church website was offline.

The first case stated in 2013, when the alleged male victim was a high school freshman and a member of the school soccer team. Griffin was the cheer coach and the student and teacher rode the same bus to games.

The teacher and student would chat about school happenings and eventually Griffin asked the student for his Snapchat account, the boy told investigators. The prosecutor said the conversations eventually turned personal, with Griffin asking the student if he was dating anyone. According to the complaint, Griffin told the boy that she heard girls talking about him in the locker room, stating that he was good in bed. The boy asked Griffin if she could get alcohol for him, and Griffin replied yes if they could have sex, the prosecutor said.

Griffin picked the boy up at a sandwich shop at 86th Street and Cicero Avenue, the prosecutor said. They drove to a nearby park in Griffin’s minivan, where the prosecutor said they engaged in oral sex and intercourse. Griffin is said to have asked the boy if he was nervous, and the boy replied, “a little.” After the alleged encounter, Griffin provided the boy with a bottle of Maker’s Mark.

Between 2013 and 2017, three more encounters were alleged to have taken place when the boy was underage. The prosecutor said the meetups were set up on Snapchat. The two would meet at a Burger King near 25th Street and Pulaski Road, and then drive to an industrial area where Griffin and the student had sex, the prosecutor said. Alcohol changed hands after some alleged encounters, prosectors said.

Griffin is also said to have sent nude photos of herself to the boy via Snapchat after their sessions, in which her face was visible in some, as well as a tattoo of an arrow on her hip.

The boy eventually graduated from high school in 2017. When he was 18 and of consenting age, the boy and his friends wanted to have a party, the prosecutor said. He reportedly sent Griffin a list of alcohol that they wanted for the party. Griffin told him it was a lot of liquor. They drove to their spot in the industrial park, where they allegedly had sex. The boy also gave Griffin $120 to purchase alcohol, according to the complaint.

In 2018, Griffin struck up a friendship with another 16-year-old male student. Griffin allegedly began sending photos of herself with minimal clothing and then with no clothing at all. Her face was not showing in the pictures, but the boy recognized her Snapchat name, as well as a tattoo of an arrow on her left hip, the prosecutor said. Detectives from the Cook County Sheriff’s Office were also able to match the tile in Griffin’s bathroom with the tile in Snapchat bathroom photos.

Griffin has no previous criminal background. Her attorney, Lori Levin, said that her client “vigorously denies” the allegations. Levin told the judge that Griffin’s husband and another church member were in the courtroom to support her.

“She knew for the past month that she was being investigated by DCFS and the Cook County Sheriff,” Levin said. “In the proffer, in none of the photos is her face visible.”

“What about the tattoo,” Mahoney said. “That’s kind of a coincidence.”

“I don’t know if she has a tattoo,” Levin said, asking the judge to consider electronic home monitoring and an I-bond.

“This is mind boggling and a horrible betrayal," the judge said.

Bail was set at $500,000 for the first case, and $250,000 for second, of which ten percent is required to post bond. Griffin was ordered not to have any contact with the alleged victims, or be with anyone under the age of 18. Griffin’s next court date is July 30 in Bridgeview.

Jordan Baptist is a private K-12 school located at 5040 W 87th St., in Burbank. Before the school and church website went offline Tuesday evening, Griffin's bio stated that teaches 4- and 5-year-olds in the school's kindergarten program. Her bio indicated that she "makes learning an enjoyable experience while teaching academics and Christ's love to every student."

The couple also have two daughters that teach at the school, which has been in existence since 1992.

Erika Hobbs, Patch Staff, contributed to this article