Cori Beard, a 28-year-old high school assistant soccer coach, is facing multiple charges for allegedly sexually assaulting three male students at the school. Beard reportedly had 12 sexual encounters with two male students. A third student was identified but is not part of the charges. The incidents reportedly happened
According to police, Beard was taken into questioning on Thursday, March 8, after a parent of one of the students contacted a school employee. The employee who was contacted then alerted Vernon Hills police.
Beard has been serving an assistant coach for the school’s the boys’ and girls’ soccer teams since 2013.
Authorities said that they do not believe the incidents happened on school property.
via Chicago Tribune:
Cori Beard, 28, of the 300 block of Farmington Lane, Vernon Hills, was taken into custody for questioning Thursday evening shortly after a parent contacted a school employee, who then contacted police, said Vernon Hills Police Chief Patrick Kreis.
A third student has been identified but is not part of Friday’s charges, Kreis said. Police believe there could be other victims and Kreis encourages parents and students to contact the police department or a school official.
“The investigation is still ongoing and fluid, and when it involves juvenile victims we deal with things in the most sensitive ways possible,” Kreis said. “If people have hesitancy to contact the police department, we encourage them to go to a teacher or counselor or some other third party. They should talk to someone.”
Beard appeared in court on Saturday, March 10, and was kept to the Lake County jail on a $1 million bond.
Over the course of just a few months, educators across the country were arrested for entering into an inappropriate relationship with their students, Tennessee teacher Janet Smothers, LaToya Parker, Florida teacher Caroline Lawson, 26-year-old Allyson Moran and Katherine Ross Ridenhour were all arrested on similar charges.
The list goes on to include 22-year-old Oklahoma science teacher Hunter Day, 28-year-old teacher Megan Kotarski, 23-year-old history teacher Michelle Schiffer, 29-year-old Alyssia Marie Reddy, special education teacher Jordan Ondish and 28-year-old Samantha Fitzpatrick have all been allegedly carrying on inappropriate relationships with their students.
In addition, 31-year-old Nicole Marie Andrews, 32-year-old Jessica Langford, 29-year-old Andrea Baber, 27-year-old Robin Dunlap, 27-year-old Jennifer Olajire-Aro have also been charged with these charges.
42-year-old Heather Butts of California was arrested on a second-degree felony charge, Nancy Leigh Ann Brann, a former Christian school teacher, was arrested for having sex with a student, Coine Audiat pleaded no contest to having sex with a minor in 2016 and 23-year-old Darci Lake was arrested for an inappropriate relationship.
