Decatur, Illinois - Eisenhower High School Security Officer Chris Young Accused of Sexually Abusing Student

Eisenhower High Employee Arrested for Sexual Abuse

An employee of Decatur Public Schools has been arrested for allegedly sexually abusing a student at Eisenhower High School. According to a report by WAND 17, a Decatur Police Department officer responded to a call about an incident between a staff member and student at the high school on November 30. A student and his parents were in an office at the school and said that an employee named Chris Young had inappropriately touched the student.

The victim gave the officer a handwritten statement about what had happened. The officer then brought Chris Young to police headquarters and gave him a recorded interview, which was turned into forensics. After the interview, Young was dropped off at his vehicle in the Eisenhower High parking lot.

On December 19, the officer who interviewed Young spoke with a sergeant about the report and the two decided to arrest Young. Young was arrested on December 20 at around 9 a.m.

Young is scheduled to appear in court on January 21.

Second Sex Abuse Case Involving Eisenhower Employees

These allegations of sexual abuse are not the first made against employees of Eisenhower High School. In April, two coaches, one of whom also works as a security guard at the school, were arrested for alleged sex offenses involving teenage girls from the school.

26-year-old Dylan W. Nunn was charged with indecent solicitation of a 14-year-old child and two counts of grooming, or using electronic communications to solicit sexual activity from a child. 26-year-old Matthew E. Krause was charged with sexual exploitation of a child and one count of grooming.

Are Schools Liable for Sexual Abuse by Employees?

School sexual abuse attorney contributor Brian Kent has a long history of helping survivors of sexual violence find justice – first as a criminal prosecutor and now as a civil attorney. Here is some insight from Brian regarding the legal options available to survivors of abuse by school employees:

It should go without saying that the safety of students is just as important as the quality of their education. But unfortunately, not all of our schools are safe spaces for our students. Like other fields that involve working with kids, our schools are vulnerable to sexual predators who seek out positions of trust in order to commit heinous crimes. When a student is sexually abused by a school employee, it’s crucial to make sure the student gets the support they need, that the abuser is prosecuted, and that the school is held liable if their negligence played a role in the abuse.

School negligence can contribute to sexual abuse in a number of ways, such as:

• Failing to run a background check before hiring a new employee
• Inadequate supervision
• Failing to report allegations of sexual misconduct to law enforcement
• Attempting to cover up sexual abuse by employees

If you or your child is a survivor of sexual abuse by a school employee, we understand the troubles facing your family. If you’d like to learn more about how the legal system can help your family find justice, consider contacting one of our experienced sex abuse survivors attorneys to learn more about your legal options.