The Fenton High School District 100 school board will weigh whether to hire someone to review how the district handled allegations of sexual misconduct by a former teacher.
On Wednesday night, the board will vote on seeking proposals for an independent review, interim Superintendent Sam Bentsen announced Thursday.
The board wants an objective, impartial assessment, including an evaluation of how adequate the district’s procedures were; compliance with policies and regulations; and the appropriateness of discipline actions that were taken, according to Bentsen.
Fenton High School District 100 is considering hiring an independent investigator to review how the district handled allegations that a worker had inappropriate communications, and sexual relations, with at least one student.
Daily Herald file photo/2018
Parents and students packed a Fenton High School District to call for the superintendent to resign.
Susan Sarkauskas/ssarkauskas@dailyherald.com
“We are committed to rebuilding trust and understanding at Fenton High School. We also acknowledge the gravity of this situation and the frustrations you may be experiencing,” Bentsen said.
Students, parents and residents of the district have criticized district officials for how they handled reports that a teacher had sexual relations with at least one student.
The board fired the man March 18.
Bensenville police have investigated the allegations and presented information to the DuPage County state’s attorney’s office to determine if criminal charges should be filed.
The school board also put Superintendent James Ongtengco on paid administrative leave the last week of March.
In December 2016, the district received an anonymous complaint alleging that the employee had sexual relations with a 15-year-old girl. The district said Ongtengco reported the allegation to a Wood Dale police officer stationed at the school as a resource officer.
Police and DuPage County state’s attorney’s investigators interviewed the girl and her parents, and the girl denied it, according to the district.
The allegation was repeated in anonymous tips in March, August and December 2023. And in September 2023, a teacher reported that a former student had recently told him that she was sexually abused by the man. Bensenville police began reinvestigating.
The December tip alleged two other students were victims.
The district also said that the employee was disciplined in 2011 and 2012 for having inappropriate communications with students via text messaging and a social media app.
The school board meets at 7 p.m. at the high school, 1000 W. Green St.