Plan prompted by Elgin school stabbing heads for House vote
SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois House soon will discuss a plan to prevent school violence that was prompted by an Elgin case in which a teacher was stabbed.
The plan was approved by a House committee Monday and will head to the full House for further discussion. Only House approval stands between the legislation and Gov. Pat Quinn's desk.
The plan would allow police to share information with certain school officials if they believe a student has been violent outside of school and could be an immediate threat to others in school.
“This bill was something I am initiating for our children to make sure they are safe and they get rehabilitative help if need be,” said Rep. Carol Sente, a Vernon Hills Democrat and sponsor of the plan.
School officials would have to keep the shared information out of written records because of privacy concerns and could refer the student to services to get help.
In 2008, Elgin student Angel Facio stabbed his teacher, Carolyn Gilbert, in an attack in her classroom — an act some think could have been prevented had school officials known about Facio's two previous allegations of assault on others outside of school.
Some opponents to the legislation questioned whether the plan would jeopardize students' privacy.
“It seems we're constantly making laws against our children, and very little is being made for them,” said Monique Davis, a Chicago Democrat.
The legislation was prompted by a Daily Herald investigation that found police and school officials already had some agreements to share information about potentially violent students but weren't always doing so.