A former high school dean is facing disturbing charges that he had a sexual relationship with a former student while she was between the ages of 15 and 17. At one point, the dean posed as her stepfather and signed consent papers to have two abortions. The relationship is alleged to have begun in 2013 when the girl was 15. The former dean is accused of contacting the student over Snapchat and then initiating a sexual relationship that lasted for two years. The dean was terminated by the district in 2021 according to the current principal who sent a notice to parents.
The relationship did not come to light until 2021 when the former student filed a police report after the principal attempted to contact her. The victim reported the incident to a teacher in 2015, but the teacher never reported the matter to the police, which why it took six years for charges to be filed against the former dean.
The dean has been charged with criminal sexual assault after police obtained Snapchat messages and the medical consent forms for the two abortions.
Analyzing the Charges
The law holds those who are in positions of authority or power to a higher standard than the rest of us. However, this includes parents, step-parents, coaches, and others, as well as teachers and high school personnel. In other words, this particular principal is in a world of trouble because of his illicit relationship with a former student. He has no real defense, either. Prosecutors will have evidence of Snapchat photos and his name on the medical consent forms for the abortion. It is likely that he never in a million years believed this student would divulge their relationship to anyone else, but they did.
This happens largely because the perpetrator does not or refuses to recognize the type of harm they’re causing the victim. They believe that the victim is benefiting from the relationship just as much as they are. Meanwhile, the victim has to lie to her parents to get abortions behind their back. The perpetrator does not recognize the emotional weight of these decisions, lying to your parents, and the sort of stress and shame that puts you under. And these are just superficial considerations. We do not know what sort of emotional abuse went into manipulating the victim to engage in this relationship.
The defendant will likely plead guilty to the charges in the hopes that the court will give him a lighter sentence to avoid the cost of prosecuting the case in front of a jury, where he would lose anyway. There just is not a lot to say when your name comes up on an abortion consent for a 16-year-old girl.
Talk to a Chicago Criminal Defense Attorney Today
David Freidberg represents the interests of those charged with serious crimes in the Chicago area. Call today at (312) 560-7100 to schedule an appointment and we can begin preparing your defense immediately.