Parents urge Effingham CUSD 40 to act after teacher indicated in DCFS investigation

Several parents and district employees told the Effingham Community Unit School District 40 board at its April meeting that the district continued to employ a teacher who, they said, had been “indicated” in a child-abuse investigation by the state child welfare agency. Speakers asked the board to rescind the teacher’s employment and to provide transparency about what the district knew and when parents were notified.

“An indication means that a credible body has found enough evidence to believe abuse likely occurred,” parent Mikayla Overbeck said. “This is not hearsay. It is a formal conclusion often made by child protective services after a serious and sobering investigation.”

Overbeck and other speakers identified the teacher by name as Renee Green and said they had repeatedly raised concerns with district staff since August 2024. Jonathan Hobler, who said he has two nonverbal children in Green’s classroom, told the board the alleged incident occurred in a hallway and that parents were not told the teacher was being investigated. “I wasn’t notified that she was being investigated,” Hobler said. “I have two kids that are special needs. Why was I not informed this was allowed to continue?”

Parent and district employee J.C. Brockett said he had documentation of a DCFS case and that the presence of nonverbal students made the situation especially concerning. Several speakers asked the district to provide access to any relevant security recordings; Hobler suggested parents could file FERPA or FOIA requests to view footage.

Superintendent Andrew Johnson told speakers the district would not discuss personnel matters in open session. “Matters that regard people’s employment are handled not in an open forum,” Johnson said, and invited parents to make appointments for follow-up meetings with district staff. Board leadership also told the room the board would review the material in closed session.

Board members did not take any public action on the employment matter during the meeting. The board later voted to enter closed session for “appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance, or dismissal of specific employees of the district,” among other listed items.

The public commenters asked the board to explain why parents of affected students were not notified earlier, to confirm whether the district had reviewed security footage, and to describe what interim steps the district had taken to protect students. District officials said personnel-process limits prevented detailed answers in open session but offered private meetings and said the board would review the items in closed session.