A nurse at a suburban Arlington Heights elementary school was placed on administrative leave amid an investigation into the potential misuse of students' prescription medications, according to school district officials.
The nurse, who works at Westgate Elementary School, was put on leave after concerns were brought to administrators on Monday evening, Lori Bein, the superintendent of Arlington Heights District 25, said in a letter sent to the school community the following day.
In the letter, Bein explained a district administrator was "made aware of concerns and documentation" regarding a nurse at Westgate "and the potential misuse of prescription medication intended for specific student use."
The district reported the matter to Arlington Heights police, which initiated an investigation, as well as the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. The superintendent stated district officials contacted Westgate families for whom it has been authorized to dispense prescription medications.
"These parents or guardians were asked to come to Westgate to verify both the contents and the quantity of medication maintained onsite at the health office and were provided with contact information for the detective leading the investigation to report any concerns or inconsistencies," the superintendent added.
Bein said the district is cooperating fully with law enforcement in their investigation "and will not hesitate to take appropriate disciplinary and/or legal action if warranted."
"Like you, we are deeply disappointed to learn of this potential breach of trust," the letter added. The safety and well-being of our students, staff and school community is a top priority..."
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The full letter sent to the school community is pasted below:
Dear Westgate Community:
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We want to inform you about an incident at Westgate Elementary School that we are taking very seriously. On Monday evening, April 22, an Arlington Heights School District 25 administrator was made aware of concerns and documentation regarding a licensed registered nurse at Westgate and the potential misuse of prescription medication
intended for specific student use. This staff member has been placed on administrative leave.
We immediately reported this matter to the Arlington Heights Police Department and then to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. The Arlington Heights Police Department has initiated an investigation. District 25 is cooperating fully with law enforcement in their investigation of this matter and will not hesitate to take appropriate
disciplinary and/or legal action if warranted.
We contacted the families of the Westgate students for whom the District maintains Authorization of Medication Administration forms that allow for the dispensing of their prescription medications consistently during school days or activities. These parents or guardians were asked to come to Westgate to verify both the contents and the quantity
of medication maintained onsite at the health office and were provided with contact information for the detective leading the investigation to report any concerns or inconsistencies. Like you, we are deeply disappointed to learn of this potential breach of trust. The safety and well-being of our students, staff and school community is a top priority. Please know that all District 25 staff members are subject to extensive pre-employment background checks.
In an abundance of caution, we will be working with the Cook County Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board of Education to review our policies and protocols to ensure the oversight and integrity of medication maintenance and dispensing at all District 25 schools.
If you have information related to this matter, please contact Arlington Heights Police Commander Petar Milutinovic (847) 368-5420 - pmilutinovic@vah.com.
As always, we thank you for your support of Arlington Heights School District 25 and our
students.
Sincerely,
Lori D. Bein, Ed.D.
Superintendent
