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Multiple St. Viator students provided texts that led to charges, report says

Police records released Friday show multiple St. Viator High School students and parents provided authorities with copies of text messages they deemed inappropriate, leading to four disorderly conduct charges against a former school counselor and coach.

Arlington Heights police conducted four separate interviews with students and their parents at the police station June 18, 25 and 26 about texts the high schoolers say they received from Joseph Majkowski, according to a heavily redacted investigative report released by the police department Friday.

During one of the interviews, one student said the texts she received from Majkowski "made her feel uncomfortable," the police report stated.

The content of the messages was almost entirely redacted before the document was released in response to a Freedom of Information Act request. But the report did note in one text message, Majkowski tells students "that he loves them."

Under school policy, staff members are only supposed to contact students via email, with parents being copied on messages, the report says.

The charges against Majkowski, 65, were disclosed Aug. 2 in the police department's weekly arrest blotter report, but police didn't provide any details. Police said in Friday's report "identifiers and comments made by juveniles (were redacted) due to the nature of content, and information regarding juveniles."

Officials at the private Catholic school provided police the initial set of texts that go back to May 7, after parents started contacting the school June 5 and 6. There were no explicit or specific sexual messages, police said in the report.

Principal Karen Love told police that none of the parents she spoke to made any claims of inappropriate touching. And Majkowski didn't have any prior reports against him in his personnel file, school President Brian Liedlich told police.

Authorities first met with Love and Liedlich the afternoon of June 6. The same day, Majkowski was escorted off school grounds after officers told him they were looking into the allegations. Majkowski already had planned to retire the next day as a school counselor. He stepped down as boys basketball coach in 2011 after 24 years.

Majkowski didn't respond to a request for comment Friday afternoon. He is due in court Aug. 28.

Saint Viator reports allegations of inappropriate texts from former faculty member

Ex-St. Viator coach accused of sending inappropriate texts to students

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