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Parents press Effingham Unit 40 about Eastside Preschool incident; district says it cooperated with DCFS and law enforcement
Summary
Parents raised concerns during public comment about an August 27, 2024 incident at Eastside Preschool. The district told the board it opened an internal review, cooperated with DCFS and law enforcement, removed the staff member from classroom duties pending investigation, and that privacy laws limit what it can disclose publicly.
Parents and community members raised concerns at the meeting about an incident at Eastside Preschool that the district said occurred Aug. 27, 2024. Commenters said the staff member involved had an indicated finding from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and questioned why the person remained employed around children.
The district told the board it took the report seriously, began an internal review immediately upon learning of the incident, and fully cooperated with an external investigation conducted by DCFS and local law enforcement. The district informed the board that the staff member in question had been removed from classroom duties involving the student and was restricted from working with students pending the district’s personnel and disciplinary review.
A parent who spoke during public comment asked, “Why is it okay to let this woman be around our kids when we know the risk? She has shown us more than once as she puts her hands on them,” and said the community had “hundreds of people … asking why she's got her job.” The speaker identified concerns about safety and said the state’s attorney had not closed the case; the commenter said criminal action could still be pending.
Board members and district administrators responded that privacy laws (state and federal) limit the district’s ability to disclose personnel or student-specific information publicly. The district said it had followed reporting requirements and that DCFS had made a finding; the district said it had reviewed DCFS’s conclusion. In response to questions about future hiring, a district representative said a standard background check would be conducted for hires, and that Illinois law includes provisions that can limit how past activity is considered in hiring decisions. The district emphasized that individual hiring determinations involve multiple variables and legal constraints.
speakers closed the public comment period after providing residents the opportunity to speak. The board said it would continue to address safety concerns on a case-by-case basis and had followed required reporting protocols.
