Published on April 28, 2025 9:53 pm
Last Updated on April 28, 2025 9:53 pm
An August incident involving a preschooler at East Side School was revisited at Monday night’s Unit 40 school board meeting.
The mother of the child and another dozen individuals attended the meeting. The mother said the actions of the teacher warrant her dismissal.
Unit 40 Board President Jill Wendling read a statement regarding the situation. Here is that statement:
“In light of recent reports shared on social media concerning an incident at Eastside Preschool, Effingham Unit 40 School District would like to address the community directly and provide important clarification.
“First and foremost, the District takes any report involving student safety and well-being extremely seriously. Upon learning of the August 27, 2024 incident involving a preschool student, the District immediately began its own internal review and fully cooperated with external investigations conducted by DCFS and local law enforcment.
“While privacy laws prevent us from disclosing specific details involving students or personnel, we can confirm that the staff member in question was immediately removed from classroom duties involving the student involved and restricted from working with students pending the District’s investigation. We are aware that DCFS has made a finding in this case and have carefully reviewed their conclusion.
“It is important to acknowledge that what has been shared publicly represents one side of a sensitive matter. The District has a responsibility to follow due process in personnel matters, including any action involving disciplinary measures or employment status. It is not always possible to share every detail while respecting the legal rights of those involved, but the Board has followed all reporting requirements and the law. This Board has also shown precedence before in dealing with similar matters swiftly.”
While the names of those involved have been shared on social media, we will refrain from that at this point. We will share additional information as is warranted.
