Another Little City employee charged with abusing boy, 11
An 11-year-old boy whom two Little City employees were charged with abusing also had been the victim of an earlier employee attack, the Cook County sheriff's office confirmed Friday. The boy is a resident at the Palatine institution, which provides services to individuals with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Kalia Coffey, 23, of Schaumburg was charged with aggravated battery to a child after she was accused of punching the special needs child in the face on June 17, the sheriff's office said. She posted bond of $2,000 on July 12. Information on the disposition or current status of the case wasn't available late Friday.
On Thursday, the sheriff's office confirmed that Forest Park resident Ronkeia Harper, 22, and Palatine resident Lisa Archer, 39, were charged Feb. 12 with aggravated battery. They were accused of punching the same boy and hitting him with a bucket on Dec. 1. They were released on $500 bond each.
Little City spokesman Larry Heisler couldn't be reached late Friday on the latest report. In the other case, Heisler said Little City fired the employees and contacted the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, which investigated. DCFS forwarded its report to the sheriff's office, which received it Jan. 23 and began its own investigation, which concluded with the Feb. 12 arrests, DCFS and sheriff's officials said.
Heisler lauded the work of the authorities "in helping us address matters like this so we can stay true to our mission of taking care of the most vulnerable members of our society."