Guilty! Stephen P. Orland, Aurora, Illinois (arrested May 2011)

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Name: Stephen P. Orland

Age: 42

School: West Aurora High School, Aurora, Illinois

Position: Band director

Victim: Two girls, age < 18

Daily Herald (18 May 2011): Aurora West band director placed on leave

Beacon News (18 May 2011): West band director on leave pending investigation'

Daily Herald (20 May 2011): West Aurora teacher faces sex charges

My Fox Chicago (20 May 2011): West Aurora Band Director Charged with Sexual Abuse of Students

CBS Local Chicago (20 May 2011): Aurora Teacher Accused Of Sexually Abusing Students

Beacon News (20 May 2011): West Aurora band director charged with sexual abuse of students

Montgomery Patch (20 May 2011): West Aurora Band Director Charged With Sexually Abusing Students

MSNBC (21 May 2011): Aurora Teacher Charged With Sexual Assault

ABC Local WLS (21 May 2011): Aurora teacher allegedly had sex with students

ABC Local WLS (2 June 2011): Aurora HS teacher due in court on sex charges

"Multiple occasions after Aug 1, 2010" vs. "on Jan. 1, 2011" -- confusion as to dates? Or just poorly written?

Montgommery Patch (2 June 2011): Accused Band Director Makes First Court Appearance

Romeoville Patch (30 June 2011): Accused Band Director’s Court Appearance Postponed Until August

Daily Herald (22 July 2011): Additional sex charges against West Aurora band teacher

Montgomery Patch (22 July 2011): West Aurora Band Director Indicted on Additional Sexual Abuse Charges

Daily Herald (19 Aug 2011): West Aurora band director pleads ‘not guilty’ to sex charges

Daily Herald (24 Aug 2011): Dist. 129 dismisses band director accused of abuse

WGN TV (16 Dec 2011): Prosecutors: Ex-teacher sent nearly 47,000 text messages to female students: The former band teacher allegedly texted two teens he's accused of having sex with

NBC Chicago (16 Dec 2011): Ex-Band Teacher Sent 47,000 Sexts: Prosecutors

My Fox Chicago (16 Dec 2011): Ex-Band Director Arrested for Sexual Assault, Sexual Contact with Students

Daily Herald (16 Dec 2011): State: Teacher exchanged nearly 47,000 texts with victims

There's a lot more in the Daily Herald article -- seems to be a comprehensive wrapup of the evidence to date.

WGN TV (16 Dec 2011): Prosecutors: Aurora band teacher charged with sexual assault 'groomed' victims

CBS Local Chicago (16 Dec 2011): Prosecutors Find ‘Intimate’ Texts From Band Teacher Accused Of Sex With Students

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Chicago Sun-Times
Former high school band teacher pleads guilty to sexual contact with students
By Matt Hanley Sun-Times Media mhanley@suntimes.com
March 9, 2012 12:01PM, updated April 11, 2012 8:04AM
Former West Aurora High School band director Steve Orland was sentenced to 12 years in prison Friday morning after pleading guilty to fondling two band students in 2010 and 2011.
www.suntimes.com/news/crime/11173956-418/former-high-school-band-teacher-pleads-guilty-to-sexual-contact-with-students.html

 

CBS Chicago
Former Band Teacher Gets 12 Years For Sex With Students
March 9, 2012 2:21 PM
ST. CHARLES, Ill. (CBS) — A former band teacher at West Aurora High School has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for sexual misconduct with two students.
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/03/09/former-band-teacher-gets-12-years-for-sex-with-students

 

Daily Herald
3/9/2012 5:49 PM
Former West Aurora teacher gets 12 years for sex with students.
By Harry Hitzeman
A former West Aurora High School band director was sentenced to 12 years in prison Friday after pleading guilty to having sexual relations with two of his female students.
Stephen Orland, 42, of North Aurora, can have his sentence cut in half for good behavior and must register as a sex offender for life once released from prison.
www.dailyherald.com/article/20120309/news/703099803/comments

 

CBS Chicago
Former Band Director Unapologetic At Sex Abuse Sentencing
March 11, 2012 - 10:36 AM

ST. CHARLES TOWNSHIP, Ill. (STMW) – In what will likely be his final public performance, Steve Orland was defiant and unapologetic. On Friday, the former West Aurora High School band director pleaded guilty to sexually abusing two band students, then read a lengthy statement that praised his own accomplishments and ignored his two victims.
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/03/11/former-band-director-unapologetic-at-sex-abuse-sentencing

 

Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)
State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board (SEPLB)
Via video conference
100 North First Street, Springfield
100 West Randolph – Suite 14-300, Chicago
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Business Meeting Minutes
Educator and School Development Division
Vicki Phillips reported the following:
Revocation of Certificates(s) by State Superintendent of Education:
The State Superintendent of Education has revoked the certificate(s) of the following individual(s) pursuant to Section 21B-80 of the School Code.
Stephen P Orland
Certificate No. 1899135 (Type 10 – Standard, Special Teaching.

 

The Beacon News, a Chicago Sun-Times Publication
Ex-employees: [Aurora] West failed to act on complaint about Orland
By Matt Hanley and Denise Crosby
August 21, 2012, 11:36AM , updated August 22, 2012 5:24PM
Former West Aurora High School band teacher Steve Orland pleaded guilty in March to fondling two band students in 2010 and 2011 and was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
AURORA — Two former West Aurora School District employees are disputing a statement released by the district Tuesday concerning its handling of allegations of abuse of a student by former band director Steve Orland.
One of the former employees, who was a custodian at West Aurora High School, said he gave information to the district about Orland abusing a student 10 months before Orland was charged with abusing two other girls.
http://beaconnews.suntimes.com/news...utes-custodians-accusations-about-orland.html

 

Aurora West USD 129
(The district serves the communities of West Aurora, North Aurora, Montgomery, & Sugar Grove)
August 21, 2012, 8:17:19 AM
School District Statement
Dear District 129 Family,
Superintendent Rydland has asked me to share this statement we provided the media on Aug. 20 concerning a 2010 personnel matter involving former band director Steve Orland.
Mike Chapin
Community Relations Director
STATEMENT
The District was recently contacted by Channel 2 News and the Beacon concerning a report about former employee Steve Orland made in July of 2010 by a District custodian. This custodian has now contacted the press and alleged that he had reported improper conduct by Mr. Orland in 2010, but that the District had not reported it to DCFS and had not taken appropriate follow up action with respect to Mr. Orland.

Our review of the matter disclosed that in late July of 2010 this custodian reported to his union president that approximately two or three weeks earlier he had seen Mr. Orland in the band instrument storage room with a female student. This is an instrument storage room which is frequented by both students and staff. The union president told the custodian to report it to his supervisor, the high school assistant principal. He made the same report to the assistant principal and the following day the custodian was interviewed by the building principal, Dan Bridges, along with Assistant Principal Slou. He told Mr. Bridges that he was at the foot of the stairs leading to the band storage room and heard laughing. Believing students might be in the room he went up the stairs. The door was open and he observed Mr. Orland in the room with a female student. Mr. Orland was standing close to the student, but they were fully dressed, he did not observe any touching, and the student was giggling.

Mr. Bridges reported those facts to the Superintendent, that is, that Mr. Orland was observed in the band storage room with a female student, but that there was no touching or other improper conduct observed. The custodian could only give a very vague description of the student. Mr. Orland was interviewed. He advised that he was often with students alone and he could not identify any particular female student, and also denied any improper conduct with any female student. There was no security camera on the storage room entrance, but security cameras in the adjoining hallway did not disclose a student matching the description in the time frame referenced by the custodian. Checking the summer band schedule also did not help in identifying the student. As a result, the District did not have an alleged victim or any allegation from a student or parent of improper conduct, nor did the observation of the custodian show improper conduct. No report was made to DCFS as the facts would not support an allegation of abuse or neglect. Teachers are alone with students on numerous occasions.

This matter occurred during the summer when Mr. Orland gave music lessons. Mr. Bridges advised Mr. Orland that being alone with the student in the band storage room could be misconstrued. At Mr. Bridges’ request the Superintendent also met with Mr. Orland and admonished him not to put himself in a position that could be misconstrued. Mr. Orland was advised that failure to follow this direction would be considered poor judgment and would subject him to discipline up to and including termination.

The area of the band storage room was identified as a blind spot in the building and a security camera was added to that area along with other blind spots to better monitor persons entering and leaving the area. In addition, the District has been proactive in strengthening its abuse reporting policy and in meeting with District personnel to make sure they are aware of their mandated reporting requirements.

After consulting with counsel, no report was made to DCFS about the 2010 matter because the facts reported would not support an allegation of abuse or neglect. Teachers are alone with students on numerous occasions. The only information the District had at the time was that Mr. Orland was alone in a room with a student, in a place in the building that was frequented by both students and staff, and that no physical contact, inappropriate or otherwise, occurred. For that reason, the District also did not have sufficient information to take any disciplinary action against Mr. Orland. In 2011 a District employee did observe conduct by Mr. Orland in the presence of a female student that would cause a reasonable person to suspect improper conduct. Mr. Orland was placed on leave and an immediate report was made to DCFS as well as the police. On further investigation the District terminated Mr. Orland as an employee. He was ultimately charged and pleaded guilty to criminal misconduct. This was all done on the initiative of the District and without a complaint from any victim or third party.

Posted By:Mike Chapin on Tuesday, August 21, 2012 - 8:17:19 AM

 

The Beacon News, a Chicago Sun-Times publication
Orland fallout is far from over
By Denise Crosby
August 21, 2012, 7:32PM , updated August 22, 2012 2:37AM
People on both sides of this ugly controversy have said virtually the same thing: The arrest and conviction of Steve Orland ripped apart the West Aurora High School community, pitting families against families, students against students, teachers against teachers or administrators — with plenty of combinations of all the above.
http://beaconnews.suntimes.com/news/crosby/14635296-418/orland-fallout-far-from-over.html

 

CBS Chicago
Did School District Ignore Warning About Band Teacher Fondling Students?
August 22, 2012 8:30 PM
CHICAGO (CBS) – A school custodian was speaking out Wednesday, accusing officials at West Aurora School District 129 of failing to protect students from a predatory band teacher.
Earlier this year, Stephen Orland was sentenced to 12 years in prison for fondling students. Prosecutors said Orland, who knew the girls since they were freshmen at West Aurora High School, sent them thousands of texts and dropped notes and letters in their lockers during school.
[Includes video of former custodian stating he reported the incident, yet nothing was done.]
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/08...-warning-about-band-teacher-fondling-students

 

The Beacon News, a Chicago Sun-Times Publication
DCFS: West Aurora school should have reported Orland, student incident
By Denise Crosby and Matt Hanley
August 23, 20125:32PM, updated August 24, 2012 at 9:10AM
A spokesman for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services said Thursday the West Aurora School District should have filed a report with DCFS in July of 2010 after a school custodian witnessed an encounter between band director Steve Orland and one of his female students.
The incident took place in a band storage room about 10 months before Orland was charged with abusing two other girls, and about two years before the band teacher was sentenced to prison for the sexual abuse.
http://beaconnews.suntimes.com/news...ora-should-have-reported-orland-incident.html

 

The Beacon News, a Chicago Sun-Times Publication
Lessons from Orland fallout: Building culture of trust, communication
By Denise Crosby
August 25, 2012 8:48PM, updated August 27, 2012 at 12:38PM
As a former Dade County sheriff’s detective, John Wilson prides himself on being able to read people — the good, the bad and the ugly — and to figure out when folks are lying to him. “I don’t tolerate abuse of power,” he says.
But Steve Orland had him fooled.
http://beaconnews.suntimes.com/news...-building-culture-of-trust-communication.html

 

Daily Herald
8/29/2012 5:09 AM
DCFS: West Aurora High broke state reporting law.
School did not report abuse allegations against band director.
Dan Bridges was principal of West Aurora High School in 2010 when a custodian reported an encounter between band director Steve Orland and a female student. Orland has since been convicted of sexually assaulting two other female students.

By Justin Kmitch
Naperville Unit District 203's new superintendent and others are drawing fire from state officials for how they handled allegations of sexual abuse of a student in his previous district.
www.dailyherald.com/article/20120829/news/708299956

 

Daily Herald
9/4/2012 9:10 PM
Superintendent: Dist. 203 community has been supportive
By Christopher Placek
New Naperville Unit District 203 Superintendent Dan Bridges said Tuesday he’s received an overwhelming amount of support from the community, during his first public comments since revelations surfaced that Bridges and other West Aurora District 129 officials may have failed to report a possible sex abuse case immediately.
www.dailyherald.com/article/20120904/news/709059947/comments

 

The Beacon News, a Chicago Sun-Times publication
West Aurora continues to address safety, community concerns
By Denise Crosby
September 4, 2012 11:07PM , Updated September 5, 2012 at 2:50AM
I’m not sure what — or who — I expected at Tuesday night’s West Aurora School Board meeting when the district publicly rolled out its new Safety Action Plan.
http://beaconnews.suntimes.com/phot...nues-to-address-safetycommunity-concerns.html

 

The Beacon-News, a Chicago Sun-Times Publication
West Aurora focuses on creating safe environment for students
BY MATT BRENNAN
for the Beacon-news
September 4, 2012 11:02PM , updated September 5, 2012 at 10:16am
West Aurora School District 129 Board of Education officials acknowledged on Tuesday, that the district is under investigation by the Kane County State’s Attorney regarding the failure to report an incident involving former Band Director Steve Orland in 2010.
http://beaconnews.suntimes.com/phot...n-creating-safe-environment-for-students.html

 

Chicago Tribune
West Aurora school district faces probe for not reporting suspected sex abuse.
District employees broke the law not calling DCFS, agency says.
September 05, 2012
By Melissa Jenco, Chicago Tribune reporter
The state's child welfare agency says West Aurora school district officials violated state law when they did not immediately report an allegation in 2010 that a band director had an inappropriate encounter with a student.
Ten months after the alleged encounter occurred at West Aurora High School, the teacher, Stephen P. Orland, was arrested for engaging in sexual contact with two students. In March, he pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal sexual abuse and was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
A spokesman for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services said the agency referred the district's handling of the allegation to the Kane County state's attorney's office.
www.wgntv.com/news/local/breaking/ct-met-school-district-probe-20120905,0,6241001.story?

 

CBS Chicago
West Aurora High School District In Trouble With DCFS Over Abusive Band Teacher
September 5, 2012 8:40 AM

Reporting Bob Conway
AURORA, Ill. (CBS) — The West Aurora High School District is in trouble with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services over an allegation involving a teacher.
As WBBM Newsradio’s Bob Conway reports, the DCFS says the district violated the law when it did not immediately notify the agency about a report the school’s band director had inappropriate contact with a student, according to the Chicago Tribune.
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/09...n-trouble-with-dcfs-over-abusive-band-teacher

 

Breitbart.com
llinois School District Charged for Not Reporting Abusing Teacher
by William Bigelow
Sep 5, 2012
The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services has decided to ask the Kane County State’s Attorney’s office to prosecute the West Aurora High School District for not notifying the agency about the school’s band director abusing female students.

www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/09/05/Illinois-school-district-charged-not-reporting-sex-abuse

 

CBS 2 Chicago
No Charges For West Aurora School Officials In Probe Of Sex Abuse Case
May 22, 2013 1:31 PM
AURORA, Ill. (CBS) – Kane County State’s Attorney Joseph McMahon said Wednesday he could charge officials at West Aurora School District 129 with failing to report suspicions that convicted former band teacher Steve Orland was abusing students, but has chosen instead to require training for all school employees.
http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2013/05...a-school-officials-in-probe-of-sex-abuse-case