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Betrayed
Chicago Public Schools has failed to protect students from sexual abuse and assault, according to a Chicago Tribune investigation that found hundreds of cases in the last decade. The district itself does not track the problem.
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Background checks ignored
A track coach at Simeon Career Academy was allowed into the school as a volunteer despite his disqualifying criminal record. He went on to rape a female student dozens of times.
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The gift of silence
What CPS investigators discovered about an admired choir director at Payton College Prep was shocking. But parents weren't told, and the educator quietly left the school system.
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His secret was safe
A Chicago teacher resigned his job while under investigation for alleged sexual misconduct. But officials didn't tell that to the Florida district that hired him next.
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Teacher solicited sex via text
A teacher's phone messages to a 14-year-old girl quickly slid from casual to obscene. Today he is in jail, but the case highlights the need for updated policies on teacher-student communications.
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Questioned again and again
Reporting a teacher's kiss and touch turned into an ordeal for a 14-year-old freshman at Payton College Prep in Chicago, as school officials questioned her repeatedly.
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Girls' courage brings guard to justice
Hubbard High School had a culture of hugging, but female students said one security guard took it too far and groped them. The girls endured taunts from classmates after they spoke up.
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Found guilty, kept job, abused again
A lunchroom aide kept his job despite groping a teen at a Y pool. He then assaulted a student who had accepted a ride home. CPS has not been effective in running criminal checks on current staffers.
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Sex after her 18th birthday
A Chicago teacher waited till a student was 18 before having sex with her, a district investigation found. In some states, having sex with a student is a crime regardless of age. But not in Illinois.
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Through it all, he kept his job
A security guard was accused of abuse multiple times, yet officials kept him in school hallways. The mother of one girl is suing, alleging the school district turned a blind eye to his behavior.
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Allegations trail basketball coach
A basketball coach who taught at Lane Tech was investigated for misconduct seven times in 14 years. He finally resigned under pressure. But he soon found jobs in other districts.
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What to do if you are a victim or witness
Students: No school employee should ever touch you sexually, make sexual comments to you or ask you to have sex. If this happens, here's how to report it and what to expect.
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Listen: Giving voice to abuse victims
Chicago Tribune reporters talk about locating victims of sexual abuse in schools, hearing them talk openly about traumatic events and making sure the victims were able to tell their own stories.
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Methodology: About the analysis
No public body discloses how often students are sexually violated in Chicago schools. The Tribune used many sources of information to estimate the scope of the problem.
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Abused by students, failed by adults
Chicago students have been sexually violated by classmates amid lapses in supervision by school employees.
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An outcry, then silence
Police charged a student over a reported assault. But the school did not discipline him, and the district did not investigate until a judge asked for information.
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Betrayed Chicago schools fail to protect students from sexual abuse and assault, leaving lasting damage
At Simeon Career Academy, a young track star was raped 40 times by a coach.
At Black Magnet Elementary, a substitute teacher sent a 14-year-old girl obscene texts and kissed her.
At Taft High School, a student reported that a security guard and track coach groped her during practice.
Over a decade, police investigated more than 520 cases of juvenile sexual assault and abuse in Chicago’s public schools.
Hundreds of students were harmed, the Tribune found. No area of the city was spared.