District 211 fires two Hoffman Estates High teachers for inappropriate contact with students
The Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 board of education Thursday unanimously fired two tenured male Hoffman Estates High School teachers over allegations of inappropriate contact with female students over a number of years.
The Daily Herald is not naming either teacher because they have not been charged, though the allegations involve potentially criminal acts. One of the men was suspended in January of 2024 for two days without pay for similar behavior.
Hoffman Estates police officials said Thursday there have been no criminal charges filed against any current or recent employees of the high school. It’s unclear if they are investigating the allegations, and no one from the department was immediately available Friday afternoon.
“Our District is firmly committed to acting in the best interest of our entire learning community, and we uphold the well-being and safety of our students as a top priority,” District 211 Director of Communications Erin Holmes said in a written statement. “Because this is a personnel matter, we are not able to share specific details. We remain dedicated to fostering a safe and respectful environment for all.”
Documents received by the Daily Herald late Friday through a public records request detail the allegations against both teachers.
Those against one teacher involve four female students and date back to the 2017-18 school year. A student who graduated in 2019 was reportedly told by the educator they would produce good offspring.
The district’s correspondence characterizes the teacher’s behavior with the students as grooming. A second student was described as a 2023 graduate and a third of the four was also described as a graduate as well.
District 211’s letter said the teacher violated the guidelines of professionalism and prohibitions against having sexual involvement with students, inappropriately using electronic communication and sexually harassing students.
In their letter to the second teacher — who also coached female student athletes — district officials referred to his earlier suspension as having been for sending inappropriate text messages to female athletes.
The allegations against the coach specifically involved three students going back to the summer of 2023 and consisted of cultivating emotional reliance with them and blurring professional boundaries in his relationships with them.
The specific violations cited include having contact of a sexual nature with students, inappropriate use of electronic communication and sexual harassment, which constituted irremediable behavior, according to the school district.