CPS vows ‘definitive action’ to combat sexual abuse, but victims are skeptical Chicago Public Schools employees will undergo additional background checks, adults will be restricted from having any access to students if sexual abuse is alleged and employees will undergo retraining on reporting abuse and inappropriate boundaries between staff and students. Those were among some of the major changes CPS officials told state legislators they’ll undergo in light of an alarming Chicago Tribune investigation that uncovered a decade of mishandling cases of sexual abuse. But is it enough? Morgan Aranda and Tamara Reed — two CPS students who endured sexual abuse by teachers at their schools — gave powerful and emotional testimonies ... [Morgan] Aranda at age 14 reported that a teacher at Walter Payton College Prep kissed her and touched her inappropriately. The teacher was dismissed but was never charged criminally and is still receiving a pension. Aranda on Wednesday said the school never called police about her allegation. Aranda described the repetitive interviews she endured with school staff, including questions about what she was wearing when the abuse occurred. She said it made her doubt her actions, even as a teen victim. “I was embarrassed to tears to tell him I had been wearing a skirt and tights. I felt guilty. ... [Tamara] Reed, at age 14, received obscene text messages from her substitute teacher at Black Magnet Elementary, Aaron Williams-Banks, who was ultimately charged with indecent solicitation of a child. She said she spent weeks in her basement, hiding until her eighth grade graduation because of the pain and sadness she was experiencing. Both victims said they were never offered any support from their respective schools. CPS Chief of Safety and Security Jadine Chou outlined the changes CPS is undergoing in light of the Tribune investigation: a new partnership with the Children’s Advocacy Center to learn best practices on how to ... Continue reading... https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/c...ombat-sexual-abuse-but-victims-are-skeptical/
