Authorities: Mundelein teacher, volleyball coach filmed student

A Mundelein middle school teacher who also serves as the girls’ junior varsity volleyball coach at Mundelein High School was arrested Tuesday on allegations he unlawfully video recorded a female student, police said.

Dagoberto Diaz, 48, of Mundelein, is charged with one felony count of unauthorized video recording of a juvenile, stemming from an investigation launched Aug. 18 when school officials reported the accusation to police, authorities said.

“While we are deeply troubled by this situation, we are also incredibly proud of the students who demonstrated courage to speak up when something did not feel right,” Superintendent Corey Tafoya wrote in a message Tuesday sent to families and staff at Mundelein High School and Carl Sandburg Middle School.

Tafoya heads up both Mundelein Elementary District 75 and Mundelein High School District 120.

According to police, a student reported that a coach had brought her into a room to perform stretching and jumping exercises. She reported that she observed the coach holding a cellphone and saw a flash from the phone, leading her to believe he was photographing her.

The student immediately reported the incident to school staff, police said, and detectives identified Diaz as the coach. Diaz’s cellphone was seized by detectives and a forensic analysis conducted via search warrant revealed several images and videos that corroborated the student’s account, police said.

Diaz was placed on leave immediately after the student reported his behavior, and he has not been permitted to interact with students or be on either school's property, Tafoya said.

The district will take “all the necessary steps” to fire him, he added.

School-based and outside crisis support and counseling resources to support age-appropriate conversations with children were provided.

Police said another search warrant was executed at Diaz’s home Tuesday, and he was arrested at a family member’s residence. He was taken to the Lake County jail, held overnight and then released following an initial court appearance Wednesday morning. He’s scheduled to return to court Oct. 26.

Anybody with additional information relating to the incident is asked to call the Mundelein Police Department at (847) 968-4600.

mzawislak@dailyherald.com