Wauconda school board member defies calls for his resignation

Two Wauconda Unit District 118 parents Thursday night asked for the resignation of a school board member recently convicted of a misdemeanor.

But Nicholas Batson says he won't resign, and the superintendent said the board has no authority to remove him.

By late Thursday, 99 area residents had signed an online petition asking Nicholas Batson to step down from the board.

"As public officials, we are there to be a much higher example than where I am right now as a citizen," said Tom Martin, a former Island Lake village trustee.

Batson was originally charged with two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse after he was accused of molesting a 14-year-old female relative at his Wauconda Township home on Dec. 5.

He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of misdemeanor domestic battery on July 17 and received 2 years probation instead of the 14 years in prison he faced. Batson would spend 6 months in jail if he violated probation in any way.

District 118 Superintendent Daniel Coles said since Batson was not convicted of a felony, no one has the authority to remove him.

"There is nothing in the school code that has a provision where a board can make a decision to remove a fellow board member," Coles said. "The board of education has no authority to impose any sort of will on Mr. Batson, and neither does the regional superintendent. At this point, it's up to what Mr. Batson wants to do or doesn't want to do. And I think it's up to the electorate to decide how they want to handle it."

Before Thursday's meeting began, Batson said he has no intention of resigning his seat.

"The easy thing would be to quit," he said. "I have two young men at home who knew I'm innocent and what do I show them, if there's some adversity in my life and I quit?"

Batson said he was forced to plead guilty because his legal expenses were depleting his children's college fund.

"It's a huge financial burden trying to prove your innocence," he said.

"I just couldn't continue on the fight. It was the hardest thing and it continues to be hard."

Batson, 46, has five children. He was elected to a 4-year term on the Wauconda school board in 2005, which ends April 2009. He said he intends to run for re-election.

"If the majority of the community said we don't believe you can do the job, then by all means I would have to step down," Batson said. "All the comments I have gotten from the community so far have been positive."

Batson is a licensed pediatric physical therapist in Wisconsin and Illinois, and has been running a physical therapy clinic for children at his home. He is also a former youth director for Wauconda Federated Church and has been a Special Olympics volunteer since 1987.

The court ordered Batson to perform 200 hours of public service, have no contact with the victim and pay $2,800 in restitution to the victim's family for therapy. He must undergo treatment for domestic violence and anger management.

<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Related links</h2> <ul class="moreWeb"> <li><a href="http://www.petitiononline.com/RBFB1234/petition.html">Online petition </a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>