Parents Demand Stricter Hiring Policies At District 200 Schools

WHEATON, IL — A group of parents spoke out at Wednesday's Community Unit School District 200 meeting to demand the district modify its hiring policies in an effort to further improve student safety.

According to CBS, the move comes after two recent incidents within District 200, including that of a substitute who was hired in spite of being registered as a sex offender in another state. CBS reported that the district hired the individual after learning the conviction had ultimately been vacated.

Elizabeth Aikins was one parent who spoke at the meeting Wednesday. Aikins said, "We must realize that this is our business and that turning a blind eye to children who are brave enough to come forward has serious consequences."

Aikins went on to mention statistics linking child sexual abuse and suicide, referencing a previous case involving a former Wheaton North High School teacher, Edwin Klemm.

Klemm was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2013 after pleading guilty to criminal sexual assault involving a 16-year-old student.

“The victim of Mr. Klemm, a former District 200 teacher convicted in 2013, is tragically a part of that statistic and I believe the community was complicit in that," Aikins said.

She added, “As a community our goal should be aimed at stopping predators before their grooming escalates."

Brooke Gennaro, who has two children attending Wiesbrook Elementary School, called District 200's current hiring and vetting methods "vague and generic."

“Our current policies have left the door open for potential threats to children and to our community.”

She continued, "The policy, as it stands today, allowed an individual, who was once convicted of a fourth degree sexual assault on a minor, to be hired."

Gennaro said, "An FBI hit showed up during this person’s background check and yet they were still allowed into one of our middle schools before being passed on to instruct elementary aged students, despite parents alleging teacher misconduct."

Following the public portion of Wednesday's meeting, board members shared the district's current policies for vetting its hires. They also introduced new measures that will be taken to further vet hires, including updates to the district's uniform grievance process and improvements in communication and transparency.

To address the matter of convictions that had been vacated, District 200 updated its hiring process to include the following clause:

"If there is a criminal charge that has been vacated, that would have resulted in a decision not to employ, a review will be conducted by the Superintendent of Schools, in consultation with the Board of Education, prior to the final decision to hire."