No charges for former Evanston Township teacher accused of sexually abusing students

EVANSTON, Ill. -- No charges will be filed against a former Evanston teacher who was accused of sexual abusing students, the Cook County State's Attorney's Office said.

The State's Attorney's Office said the statute of limitations expired.

In a pair of lawsuits brought in October 2017, two former students claimed they were sexually abused by the former teacher at Evanston Township High School.

The former students, who graduated in 1979 and 1980, alleged that while they were minors at the high school, the teacher groped and/or fondled them, according to the suit.

The teacher kept the students quiet about the abuse by using his position to manipulate them into compliance, in part by his authority in casting for school productions, the suit said.

The school district said it had launched an internal investigation into the claims and also said they were cooperating fully with police.

The suit also accused the school of failing to restrict the teacher's access to the students, failing to investigate complaints about him, or turn those complaints to the proper authorities, and continuing to employee him.

WLS-TV contributed to this report.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire - Copyright Chicago Sun-Times 2018.)