Urbana school district plans external investigation
URBANA – The Urbana School District is moving quickly to hire an external investigator to look into the alleged sexual molestations at Thomas Paine Elementary School.
District 116 Superintendent Gene Amberg had said this week that he would conduct an investigation into the allegations against second-grade teacher Jon White, who has been charged with sexually molesting children in the school, but that an external investigation would also be conducted.
On Friday, the school board scheduled a special meeting for noon Tuesday at the Administrative Service Center, 205 N. Race St., U.
The board will meet first in closed session.
The only other item on the agenda is to come out of executive session to vote on "authorization for external review of recent matters involving Thomas Paine Elementary School and appointment of personnel associated with the external review."
The board's vice chairman, John Dimit, said that external review would involve personnel who are not employees of the school district, but added that he could not say anything further on the matter.
School Board President Joyce Hudson said an outside law firm would be hired and the internal investigation would continue.
Amberg and Deputy Superintendent Preston Williams were out of town Friday, according to a district receptionist.
White, a teacher at Thomas Paine Elementary School since August 2005, was arrested as he arrived for work at the grade school at 1801 James Cherry Drive, U, about 8 a.m. Jan. 31. He is 26 and lives in Normal.
Thomas Paine's principal, Janice Bradley, was put on administrative leave earlier this week. Ken Paxton, a longtime teacher at Thomas Paine, is serving as interim principal.
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