A suburban Chicago band teacher was placed on administrative leave and banned from the school's property after hidden cameras were found inside school rooms, police said.
The band teacher was placed on administrative leave Nov. 15 after Beecher High School conducted an investigation into three cameras found hidden in “small rooms and offices” around the perimeter of the school’s music room, authorities said.
“His abrupt removal from the classroom was done to safeguard our children, as student safety and their well-being is always of paramount importance,” Superintendent K. Bradley Cox said in a letter to parents.
School officials said it remains unclear what content, if any, was on the cameras.
“If and when we learn the contents of any recordings, all affected persons will be notified,” Cox wrote.
Cox said the teacher was formally placed on unpaid suspension following a board meeting Monday.
Beecher Police Chief Gregory Smith said Tuesday the teacher was arrested for criminal trespass after he returned to school property despite being banned.
Local
Police said an investigation into the cameras remained ongoing. As of Tuesday, no charges had been filed in connection with that case.
While the school named the teacher in its letter, NBC Chicago is not naming him unless charges are filed.
