CPS sued over teacher who allegedly put camera in school bathroom

The Board of Education for the City of Chicago is being sued for hiring a teacher charged with putting a video recording device in a Gold Coast school bathroom last year.

Elliott Nott, 41, was charged with seven felony counts of unauthorized videotaping and one felony count of child pornography in September 2016 after a motion-activated camera was found in a bathroom at Ogden International School, 24 W. Walton, according to Chicago Police. He taught kindergarten through fifth grade at the school.

The 12-count lawsuit, filed Friday in Cook County Circuit Court, was brought by a volunteer at the school and three teachers who were recorded by the camera, court documents allege. All are identified under “Doe” aliases.

The suit claims the board was negligent when it hired Nott in 2009, and should have known he was unfit to be a teacher due to a criminal history that included peeping and prowling. Additionally, the board was negligent in its supervision of Nott.

The suit seeks an unspecified amount in damages.

In a previous statement, CPS spokesman Michael Passman said several checks were conducted prior to Nott’s hiring.

“CPS requires all employees to pass a comprehensive background check, which includes a fingerprinting, state and federal criminal database review, tuberculosis test, and drug test,” Passman said. “The District’s background checks are guided by Illinois School Code standards and are done to ensure all employees meet our high standards for personal and professional conduct.”

A spokesman for the board was not immediately available to comment on Friday’s suit.