Prosecutors dropped misdemeanor charges last week brought against a teacher at Calumet City’s Creative Communications Academy who allegedly gave students nicotine gum during a class in October, according to Cook County court records.
Seven families of sixth grade students who were given the gum are “exploring our civil opportunities to bring closure in this matter,” said Jarrett Adams, an attorney representing the families, who declined to comment further. No lawsuit was filed as of Monday.
The Cook County states attorney’s office said Monday prosecutors found evidence was not sufficient to meet their burden of proof.
“Prosecutors have an obligation in every case to evaluate the evidence throughout a criminal proceeding and act accordingly in the pursuit of justice,” a spokesperson said. “Throughout the pendency of this case, the (state’s attorney’s office) remained in communication with the victims and their families as we sought an appropriate resolution.”
Eric Baah was charged in November with seven counts of misdemeanor reckless conduct/bodily harm, a month after Dolton District 149 confirmed he was on administrative leave. The school board considered Baah’s resignation letter at its Nov. 25 meeting, according to the meeting agenda.
Calumet City 2nd Ward Ald. Monet Wilson in a statement Monday called the states attorneys office’s decision to dismiss the charges against Baah unacceptable.
“If this had happened in a more affluent community, I firmly believe the response would have been faster and more serious,” Wilson said. “Our children deserve the same urgency, protection and accountability regardless of their ZIP code.”
The district notified parents in November that students in Baah’s class had been reassigned to different classrooms “out of an abundance of caution and in the best interest of our students.”
Daphin March previously told the Daily Southtown she picked up her son Dae’jon, who goes by DJ, from the school at about 11 a.m. Oct. 3, after he was given the gum in a prior class. She said she received a call from the nurse’s office that he was feeling nauseous.
“My son was basically the reason why they started the investigation because he kept telling me, ‘Mommy, the gum packet said ‘for people who smoke,’” March said.
March said she first thought he misread the packaging, but she took him to urgent care as he had a headache and felt his heart beating rapidly on top of feeling nauseous. She was told DJ was showing signs of nicotine poisoning and was given medication to help.
She said she called Creative Communications Academy Principal Darryl Lacey, eventually learning multiple students reported feeling nauseous after chewing one or multiple pieces of nicotine gum.
The district said as soon as the issue was brought to its attention, it contacted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for guidance and followed all recommended health protocols and notified families with a letter home the same day.
March said she wasn’t made aware of the letter until a day later, as Lacey didn’t follow up with her until after she posted about the issue on social media.
“I said, ‘I’m kind of nervous even about letting my son go back to the school, because not only do I have to worry about my son with a student messing with him, now I’ve got to worry about teachers,’” March said she told Lacey.
March said she and other parents filed a police report to see if the teacher could face criminal charges.
District 149 also includes Caroline Sibley Elementary, Carol Moseley Braun Elementary, New Beginnings Learning Academy, Diekman Elementary, Berger-Vandenberg Elementary, the School of Fine Arts and the STEM Academy.
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