Schaumburg teacher accused of abusing autistic students

A Schaumburg junior high school teacher accused of mistreating students was indicted by a grand jury this week on three counts of aggravated battery and one count of unlawful restraint, prosecutors announced Friday.

Patrick McCarthy, 30, a special education teacher at Robert Frost Junior High is alleged to have pushed one student against a wall, tied a student to his chair with a jump rope and forced a student to don a weighted vest and jump for 40 minutes on a trampoline.

The allegations involve incidents this year with three male autistic students, ages 11 to 12.

McCarthy, who posted $50,000 to get out of jail following his September arrest, appeared in court Friday with family. Under conditions of his bond, he is prohibited from interaction with the students or the school. He will be allowed contact with other kids under 18, per a request from his lawyer Friday.

McCarthy had been a well-liked teacher before his arrest, and school officials said they'd previously had no complaints about him.

His attorney, Thomas Breen, said people he's talked to say McCarthy was "a wonderful, wonderful guy who had a very, very difficult job."

McCarthy is next due in court for a hearing Nov. 12.