DCFS Investigating Alleged Sexual Incident at Hales Franciscan

By Adam Sege
Chicago Tribune
November 8, 2013

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-police-investigating-lewd-photos-more-serious-crime-at-catholic-high-school-20131108,0,6132094.story

An investigation at Hales Franciscan High School involves more than sexually explicit pictures passed among students, with child welfare officials also looking into allegations of a sexual incident at the South Side school and whether it was properly reported to authorities, according to sources with knowledge of the case.

The sources said the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services received at least two calls Saturday about the incident, which allegedly occurred about a month ago. Investigators from the agency were at the school earlier this week interviewing school staff and students, the sources said.

The agency is also investigating the school’s response to the alleged incident, the sources said.

A state law says schools must report abuse allegations to DCFS immediately. But school president Jeffrey Gray acknowledged Friday that he never contacted the agency, choosing instead to work with students and parents to resolve "a couple of incidents" at the Bronzeville school, which went co-ed this year.

Gray would not say what they were, but indicated they involved the explicit photos.

"The proper discipline actions were meted out and we thought this was done and over with," he said, adding that the disciplined students have since returned to school.

"We did not think it was a criminal act because it [was] dealing with minors and we brought the parents in and all the students talked about it," Gray said. "The parents and students and administration dealt with it."

But staff members aware of the situation did contact DCFS, prompting the agency to send investigators to the school, sources said.

"It went to some of the DCFS folks that got wind of this," Gray acknowledged. "And parents were notified of it. That's when we brought the police in."

Chicago police released a statement Friday acknowledging that officers met with school officials last week and were "informed that sexually explicit photographs of a female were distributed electronically to and by some students. Through conversations with students, the school official determined that a more serious crime may have been committed."

Police did not elaborate on the staff member's comment, and said it has asked the school for the name of the female so it can further investigate the incident.

"At this time, the name of the victim has not been provided to police for an investigation and there has been no evidence presented to police that a crime had been committed," police said in a statement. "We take any allegations of this nature very seriously, so CPD has requested that the name of the victim be made available as soon as possible allowing a proper investigation to be conducted."

But Gray said he and his staff "sat down with police and other government representatives and they requested names of teachers, staff and we provided them with all the information that we have."

He added that "there are allegations that we take very seriously. We're very concerned about the safety and security and well-being of our students."

Gray was asked whether the school going co-ed this year had anything to do with the incident. "I don't see going coed as being a factor in this," he said. "I see the technology being in the hands of young people who don't know how to use it appropriately."

Hales Franciscan, originally run by the Franciscan order, is owned and operated by an independent board that includes laypeople and three Franciscan priests, according to the school's website. The Archdiocese of Chicago's Office of Catholic Schools issued a short statement:

"While the school is not governed by the Archdiocese, we are confident that the administration and Board of Hales Franciscan are working to address this difficult situation appropriately."

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