A Bremen High School assistant principal was suspended without pay last week in connection with allegations he inappropriately touched a 16-year-old student.
Midlothian Police Chief Harold Kaufmann said the female student accused the male assistant principal of “inappropriate touching” while he and the student were inside his school office.
The school official, who was out of town for the past week, turned himself into police Tuesday morning, Kaufmann said, but no charges had been filed as of Wednesday evening.
Interviews into the alleged incident were still being conducted by police, the police chief said.
“There was an outcry of witnesses; teachers who have seen a couple of things,” he said.
Police believe the allegations of inappropriate contact are limited to a single incident involving only the 16-year-old girl, Kaufmann said.
District officials are waiting for the results of the police investigation and “haven’t determined our next steps” regarding the assistant principal’s status with the district, according to Bill Kendall, superintendent for Bremen Community High School District 228.
“We’re kind of in a holding pattern,” he said.
The assistant principal’s name was removed from district and school information pages after he was placed on administrative leave Jan. 13, Kendall said. While it can still be found using several website search engines, the assistant principal’s name is no longer listed along with other members of the school’s administration on the Bremen High School “About Us” page.
Attempts to contact school Principal David Kibelkis and Associate Principal Paul Rybarczyk Wednesday were unsuccessful.
The student alerted a school staff member on Jan. 12 that she had an inappropriate encounter with the assistant principal, Kendall said. Midlothian police were contacted and began investigating the allegations the same day.
The assistant principal was not a coach, but oversaw all school clubs, Kendall said.
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“He didn’t have a direct club that he ran,” according to the superintendent. “He was in charge of all the activities.”
Kendall said district officials have no knowledge “at this point” of any other student allegations against the assistant principal.
Nick Swedberg is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.