A Naperville middle school teacher was placed on leave Thursday after three men filed civil suits charging that he sexually abused them years ago when they were students at De La Salle Institute in Chicago.
Officials at Naperville Community School District 203 are investigating allegations that Phil Cappelleri, 53, had abused students while he was a teacher and coach at the then-all-boys school at 3455 S. Wabash Ave.
Cappelleri, who coordinates physical education at Jefferson Junior High School, has taught in the suburban district for 12 years. He will remain on leave at his full salary until the district finishes its probe.
“We’ll conduct our own investigation to try and get to the bottom of what’s going on here,” said Supt. Alan Leis.
Cappelleri, himself a De La Salle grad, could not be reached for comment Thursday.
Two civil suits were filed against Cappelleri and the Christian Brothers of Illinois–the Catholic order that runs De La Salle–in Cook County Circuit Court. The former students, who appeared at a news conference Thursday, said Cappelleri, who left the school in 1988, abused them between 1980 and 1985. The men said the incidents always occurred off school grounds.
Patrick Sierzega, 36, alleges that memories of the abuse by Cappelleri, then a teacher and head football coach at the private school, resurfaced in the fall 2002. “He helped me become a better athlete,” Sierzega said. “Then he used that as a tool for abuse.”
In October, Sierzega said he began reaching out to other students and found two brothers, Arnie and Christopher Alberts, 36 and 38, respectively, who said they had similar experiences. The three are taking advantage of the new state law that extends the statute of limitations in sexual abuse cases. They are seeking unspecified damages.
“I still have mixed feelings about what we’re doing,” Sierzega said. “He was like a father figure. I feel very split.”
While attorneys for the men said there is no evidence that De La Salle officials were aware of any alleged abuse, the suit charges that the Christian Brothers order has a history “and previous instance of molestation of other children and young adults.”
De La Salle officials said there were no reports of abuse in Cappelleri’s personnel file.
“I spoke to former administrators who said that they knew of no such allegations,” said Brother Michael Quirk, who has been president of De La Salle for 15 years.
A notice posted on the school’s Web site said Cappelleri left the school in 1988 “for reasons having nothing to do with sexual misconduct” and promised that officials would cooperate fully with authorities.
The South Side school has educated sons from Bridgeport, Bronzeville and the Back of the Yards neighborhoods for more than 100 years and is the alma mater of both mayors Daley.
The Naperville district declined to comment further about Cappelleri. “We did meet with him earlier today, and he denied any wrongdoing,” Leis said.
Cappelleri also coaches football, sponsors intramural golf and directs Cap’s Camps, a weekend baseball program.
He is a graduate of Lewis University in Romeoville, where he was an assistant baseball coach and assistant director of the residence hall.
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“I’m astounded by who’s making these accusations,” said Gordie Gillespie, who was head coach at Lewis University for 24 years and worked with Cappelleri. “I’ve never found a finer young man than Phil.”