Naperville Republican Darlene Senger rebuffed again in House

Naperville Republican state Rep. Darlene Senger just can't catch a break when it comes to getting her legislation passed

On Thursday, leading House Democrats told Senger her proposal to allow school officials to move students accused of felonies to alternative education programs would never see the House floor.

Senger said House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie informed her that her most recent amendment to the bill, which would allow accused students back in school if charges were dropped or never filed, "was not enough."

"This whole situation makes me so mad, I just can't tell you, because we had everything in place" Senger said Thursday. "My constituents have a problem, we come up with what we think is a great solution and then some of my colleagues turn it into a political issue."

A message left for Currie at her Springfield office on Thursday was not returned.

Senger first drafted the bill in response to an alleged sexual assault that occurred in Naperville in which two Gregory Middle School students are accused of sexually assaulting a classmate.

Since the alleged assault occurred off school grounds, Indian Prairie Unit District 204 officials say they couldn't take any immediate action.

District officials and Senger say the proposed legislation is a necessary tool for districts in such situations.

The victim of the alleged crime is attending classes at Gregory with a court-ordered 100-foot protection zone separating him from one of the other boys. The other student transferred voluntarily to a school in Naperville Unit District 203.

Senger worked aggressively to get the bill pushed through two separate House committees and in the Senate. More than two dozen Naperville residents, including the alleged victim's father, traveled to Springfield last month urging lawmakers to quickly pass the legislation.

But Senger said opponents feared the bill would force students out of school, rather than be used as a last resort in special circumstances.

"This was not a state mandate on schools. This was simply a tool to allow school districts the options they needed in a very sad situation," Senger said. "Democrat leaders told me they feared the legislation would open school districts up to lawsuits."

Upon learning her bill's fate, Senger quickly partnered with Wheaton Republican Sen. Randy Hultgren in introducing an identical bill in the Senate. The Senate passed Hultgren's proposal Wednesday by a vote of 33-23-1.

"I want to commend the Senate for understanding that sometimes unique and tragic circumstances may require school districts to have this option," Senger said.