An Oak Park and River Forest High School teacher has been charged with multiple felonies related to sexual misconduct with a minor.
Jeremy Lind, 41, turned himself into Chicago police on the afternoon of Dec. 14. He faces two felony counts of aggravated criminal sexual assault, three felony counts of criminal sexual assault, and four felony counts of traveling to meet a minor and four felony counts of indecent solicitation of a child. His bond hearing was set for Tuesday at the Central Bond Court in Chicago.
At the hearing Judge James Brown set Lind’s bond at $150,000. His next court date is a preliminary hearing Jan. 4 at the George N. Leighton Criminal Court Building in Chicago.
Lind, an Oak Park resident who teaches English at the high school and co-sponsors the Spoken Word Club, has been on administrative leave since October after allegations of misconduct between him and a student at the school first surfaced.
At the time, school officials said they were cooperating with an investigation that involved police. School officials couldn’t be reached Tuesday to clarify Lind’s employment status. When the allegations surfaced in October, the school district announced that Lind had been placed on paid administrative leave.
“When the allegations were reported, school officials immediately reported the information to the Department of Children and Family Services and placed Lind on leave,” according a statement released by the district Tuesday. “The matter has been under investigation by Oak Park and Chicago law enforcement authorities since that time.”
In the wake of the investigation, the school assigned a long-term substitute and another staff member to teach Lind’s courses. The administration had also instructed students who had asked for letters of recommendation from Lind to consider requesting them from another faculty member.
Since the allegations became public, school officials have directed any students who may need to talk about the issue to counselors and social workers.
