Girls Basketball Coach, Junior High Teacher Sexually Abused 2 Teen Students: Prosecutor

A Joliet junior high school teacher was charged with sexually abusing two former students from her last job in Orland Park. Her bail was set Friday at $150,000.

Cara Labus, 30, was charged with four counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse in connection with incidents that occurred between 2008 and 2011 in Orland Park. The girls Labus allegedly abused were between the ages of 14 and 16 when the crimes took place, according to a statement released by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.

“Labus came to know the victims while she was employed as a teacher and basketball coach at Jerling Junior High School in Orland Park,” the release said.

“After the victims graduated from junior high, Labus kept in contact with them and from December 2008 through February 2011 she is alleged to have engaged in various sex acts with the victims on several occasions,” the release said. “During the summer of 2014, one of the victims told a friend about the abuse and then filed a police report in December of 2014. Around that same time, the other victim made an outcry to the first victim regarding abuse by Labus during the same time frame.

Labus is now a teacher at Hufford Junior High School in Joliet, the state’s attorney’s office said. The Orland Park police arrested her Wednesday. She is now on electronic home monitoring.

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