Bensenville village president among those calling for District 100 superintendent to resign amid sexual abuse allegations surrounding fired teacher/staff member
Fenton Community High School District 100 continues to be embroiled in controversy as angry students, parents, teachers and community members confronted district officials last week during two school board meetings with regard to how they handled allegations involving a former teacher and staff member who has been accused of sexual abuse.
WGN-TV News reported that the former teacher and staff member has been accused of sexually abusing students since 2013, with the allegations reportedly continuing through at least 2019.
The Bensenville Police Department said it was made aware of the allegations last October, and its investigation is ongoing. The accused was put on paid administrative leave last fall.
On Saturday, District 100 released a timeline, chronicling events involving the former teacher/staff member in question, and the immediate actions the district said it undertook to address and investigate every anonymous tip provided to school administration.
In that timeline, the accused reportedly sent inappropriate text messages to a student in their class back in December, 2011 (see: Fenton District 100 timeline of events.)
The accused has not been criminally charged, but he was fired in a unanimous decision by the school board during a special board meeting held Monday, March 18. That day, District 100 Superintendent James Ongtengco released a statement on the situation in a letter to families. Part of the statement reads:
“We are committed to maintaining the safety of our students. In doing so, we always partner with local law enforcement when allegations of a crime are shared with us.
“Upon receiving information on this situation, we followed mandatory reporting requirements and notified law enforcement immediately. We utilized our school resource officer and other administrative resources to follow internal processes to ensure our school remained safe while fully cooperating with law enforcement in the confidential gathering of information.
“Our responsibility in this matter was to determine whether the individual violated school district policies. Tonight, the school board, acting on our investigation and recommendation, took the step to move toward termination. I am proud of our school leadership in responding to these allegations and in getting us to tonight’s board decision.”
However, at a school board meeting held Wednesday, March 20, those who attended criticized the superintendent and board for its handling of the allegations. They demanded that Ongtengco, and even the entire school board, should resign.
Bensenville Village President Frank DiSimone attended both the Monday and Wednesday school board meetings when the issue was discussed. In a letter to board of education members, DiSimone, who is the parent of a daughter at Fenton High School, said that “in order for our community to begin to heal,” he is calling for Ongtengco to step down.
“What I have witnessed at Fenton these past few weeks is nothing short of horrific, and like so many in our community, I’m outraged at the allegations against a former teacher,” DiSimone said in the letter. “And while his dismissal is a small step forward, it is not enough.
“I attended each of the last two school board meetings where this issue was discussed and the testimony that took place has left a deep impact on me and my family. I can tell you that I stand with our students, families, and all sexual assault victims when I say that the allegations are disgusting and unacceptable. A school should be—amongst all else—safe for children.”
Ongtengco did not comment on the village president calling on him to resign.
A former student, who graduated from Fenton in 2022, was among those who spoke at Wednesday night’s board meeting. She said she was allegedly assaulted by the fired teacher and staff member.
“You failed to support me and other young girls who were assaulted and groomed by a monster that you protected, empowered and promoted as a community hero,” she said. “He had a pattern of victims, and none of you seem to care.”
In a statement that accompanied the timeline of events released Saturday by the district, Ongtengco said, “While we did not foresee nor contribute to the circumstances that have unfolded, we find ourselves confronted with the responsibility of managing its aftermath and supporting those affected.
“As your superintendent, I want you to know that we hear you. We understand your anger and concern. It is important to acknowledge the frustration and uncertainty that many of you may be experiencing at this time. Your concerns are noted, and we will continue to address them in a constructive and transparent manner.”
District cancels classes Friday after threat made against Fenton, school official
Ongtengco released a statement last Friday, announcing that the district cancelled all classes and extracurricular activities at Fenton High School after receiving a threat to bring harm against the school and a school official.
“It is truly unfortunate that recent discussions and disagreements within our community have escalated to alarming levels,” Ongtengco said in the statement.
Later that day, the district issued an update. It said, “The threat made against our school was unfounded, and the school has now been cleared by law enforcement.”
The school is on spring break this week.
Fenton District 100 timeline of events
Editor’s note: The following events are a timeline of what has occurred involving the former teacher/staff member in question. It was released Saturday by Fenton Community High School District 100. This timeline is not associated with the ongoing investigation being conducted by the Bensenville Police Department.
Dec. 16, 2011—A teacher reported to the administration that the staff member in question was sending inappropriate text messages to a student in their class. The administration investigation included interviews with the student and the student’s family. The staff member in question was issued a disciplinary letter.
May 22, 2012—Teacher overheard a conversation among students and reported to administration potential inappropriate communication between students and the staff member in question via social media. The administration interviewed students and their parents. The staff member in question was issued a second disciplinary letter and mandated to attend personal conduct training.
Dec. 1, 2016—An anonymous tip was sent to the administration via the school website regarding the staff member in question alleging the individual was engaged in a sexual relationship WITH A STUDENT. The administration referred this incident to the School Resource Officer, Department of Child Family Services (DCFS), and the DuPage Children’s Center. The incident was thoroughly investigated, and the allegations were determined to be unfounded by all agencies involved. All parties involved denied the information provided in the anonymous tip.
March 8, 2023—An anonymous tip was sent to administration via the school website regarding the staff member in question alleging the individual engaged in a sexual relationship with the previously reported FORMER STUDENTS from 2011 and 2016. Administration referred this incident to the School Resource Officer (SRO) and DCFS. The SRO spoke with the former students and they both stated that no inappropriate conduct occurred. All parties involved denied the information provided in the anonymous tip.
May 19, 2023—An anonymous tip was sent to administration via the school website regarding the staff member in question alleging the individual engaged in a sexual relationship with the SAME TWO FORMER STUDENTS first reported on March 8, 2023. Administration referred this incident to the School Resource Officer and DCFS.
Aug. 19, 2023—An anonymous tip was sent to the administration via the school website regarding the staff member in question alleging the individual engaged in a sexual relationship with the SAME TWO FORMER STUDENTS that were previously reported. The administration referred this incident to the School Resource Officer and DCFS. The administration received a letter from the DuPage Children’s Center stating that this incident had already been investigated and was determined to be unfounded in 2016. The SRO spoke with the former students and the students stated that no inappropriate conduct occurred.
Sept. 23, 2023—A teacher was called by one of the former students that was previously reported anonymously and stated that she was a victim of sexual abuse by the staff member in question when she was attending Fenton Community High School. As a mandated reporter, the teacher provided this information to school administration. The teacher and administrator went to the Bensenville Police Department to provide a detailed report of what was stated by the former student. The district immediately placed the staff member in question on administrative leave, which included revoking the individual’s ability to access school grounds, email, and other technology.
Oct. 3, 2023—The former student filed a report with the Bensenville Police Department.
Throughout the Bensenville Police Department’s criminal investigative process, the Fenton District 100 administration was requested to hold off on initiating a concurrent school personnel investigation so as to not jeopardize the potential criminal investigation. Fenton’s administration fully cooperated with the Bensenville Police Department’s request and further assisted by providing all requested documents and encouraging staff to contact the Bensenville Police Department if they had information pertaining to the staff member in question. The Fenton administration was provided brief updates bi-monthly by the Bensenville Police Department. The matter is an ongoing criminal investigation.
