A Chicago Public Schools employee has been removed from the classroom after students – including one as young as five years old – had their mouths duct taped during a classroom incident, NBC 5 Investigates has learned.
The March 18 incident happened at Carter G. Woodson South Elementary School in Bronzeville. An internal investigation is underway within Chicago Public Schools, according to a police report obtained by NBC 5 Investigates.
Chicago Public Schools has refused to provide details about what exactly transpired, how many students were involved or who specifically was responsible.
But in an emailed statement, which came three days after NBC 5 Investigates first began asking questions, a district spokesman said: “Chicago Public Schools (CPS), prioritizes the safety and well-being of our students. CPS follows all District policies and procedures as we respond to issues.”
On April 8, NBC 5 Investigates filed a Freedom of Information Act request seeking a copy of the incident report.
That same day – three weeks after students’ mouths were duct taped – Chicago Public Schools sent out a letter to parents with vague details about an unnamed staff member who is alleged to have “engaged improperly with students. The allegations do not involve sexual misconduct. An investigation has been initiated by the Office of Student Protections and Title IX, and this individual has been removed during the course of the investigation,” the letter read in part.
Rachel Beverly said her 5-year old daughter, Amyna, was one of the students whose mouths were duct taped.
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In an interview with NBC 5 Investigates, Beverly said she was upset that the school’s principal called her the day after the incident and that she was only provided with a redacted copy of the incident report – despite her daughter being directly involved.
According to a copy of that redacted report, which was shared with NBC 5 Investigates, when the classroom teacher went to retrieve her students from computer class on March 18, “she observed a few students’ mouths had duct tape on them…” The report does not name the staff member, but Beverly said it was a teacher's aide.
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A copy of the police report states that the school had "disciplined the {redacted} and that she has been removed from her daughter's classroom."
Beverly said she wasn't told what happened until the day after it occurred and met with the school principal two days later - on March 20.
“Like it shocked me. It caught me off guard because when child is somebody else’s care, I expect for you to care for my child like I would care for my child,” Beverly told NBC 5 Investigates.
Beverly said she was upset that the school’s principal told her the incident was part of “a game” in class in which they didn’t want students to blurt out the answers to questions.
Beverly told NBC 5 Investigates she isn’t buying the explanation.
“Even then it's no excuse to put duct tape on a 5-year-old's or any child's mouth,” she said.
The principal at the school declined to comment and referred NBC 5 Investigates back to the CPS communications office.
Rachel’s father, Raphael Beverly, told NBC 5 Investigates that he has spoken with someone from the Illinois State Board of Education about the matter.
“It’s a very strange and peculiar situation,” Raphael Beverly said. “And anytime that a parent asks for an incident report regarding their child and you're denied access to it, that furthers raise suspicion.”
ISBE has not responded to NBC 5 Investigates' multiple requests for comment spanning several days. A copy of the letter that was sent home to parents April 8 is below:
Dear Woodson Parents and Families,
The safety of your children is always our top priority, which is why I must inform you of a situation that has recently come to light. There have been allegations that one of our staff members engaged improperly with students. The allegations do not involve sexual misconduct. An investigation has been initiated by the Office of Student Protections and Title IX (OSP), and this individual has been removed during the course of the investigation. The families of the impacted students have been notified and supports are available to the students.
Based on the information learned during the OSP’s investigation, a final determination will be made regarding whether it is appropriate for this individual to return to Woodson.
Please know that we are taking this situation seriously, and we remain committed to providing your children with a safe, positive learning environment where they can reach their full potential. Please feel free to contact me at tnlittlejohn@cps.edu or (773) 535-1280 if you have any questions or concerns. If you have any concerns related to student protections, you can contact the Office of Student Protections and Title IX at (773) 535-4400.
Sincerely,
Principal Littlejohn
