Former teacher admits giving children pot, booze

A former Grant High School teacher was placed on probation Tuesday after admitting she supplied marijuana and alcohol to a pair of teenage girls.

Kym Krocza, 41, pleaded guilty to attempted contributing to the criminal delinquency of a minor during a hearing before Lake County Circuit Judge James Booras.

Assistant State's Attorney Fred Day said Krocza, a math teacher at the school who was hired in 2000 but has since resigned her position, paid two 14-year girls to do housework in January of last year.

During that month, Day said, Krocza gave the two girls alcohol and marijuana, which they consumed at Krocza's residence in the 36000 block of Wilson Road in Ingleside.

The mother of one of the girls contacted police, and Krocza was charged in September.

She went on the defensive, stating publicly the accusations were "lies," and the girls were pointing the finger at her for their own mistakes.

However, on Tuesday she testified under oath that she had admitted giving the girls the contraband during a Sept. 15 interview with a Lake County sheriff's detective.

Krocza was also charged with harassment of a witness for parking her car in the driveway of one of the girl's parents. Day agreed to drop that charge in exchange for the guilty plea.

Day said he also agreed to reduce the contributing charge against Krocza from a felony to a misdemeanor because of her lack of a prior criminal history.

In addition to the probation, Booras fined Krocza $2,000 and ordered her to perform 150 hours of community service.

He banned her from teaching while on probation, and said she could not engage in personal contact or electronic communication with anyone under 17 while under the supervision of the court.