Aurora teacher charged with misdemeanor for failing to report child abuse

An Aurora elementary school teacher has been charged with failing to report suspected child abuse.

Elizabeth Aguilar, 42, has been charged with a misdemeanor count of failure to report child abuse as a mandated reporter, according to a statement from the Kane County state’s attorney’s office.

Between March 6 and March 8, Aguilar, a teacher at Bardwell Elementary School in Aurora, had “reasonable cause to believe that a child known to her in her professional capacity was an abused child,” prosecutors said. She failed to report the abuse to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services as required by Illinois’ Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act.

The law requires mandated reporters, including teachers, to call DCFS at (800) 252-2873 if they suspect that a child may have been abused or neglected.

Aguilar was placed on administrative leave and the school district was continuing to cooperate with law enforcement and their investigations, a representative for East Aurora School District 131, Tom Jackson, said in a statement.

“We have also launched an internal investigation into this matter involving Ms. Aguilar,” Jackson said. “If warranted by the results of this investigation, our school district will not hesitate to take appropriate disciplinary action, potentially including termination.”

Aguilar, who lives in Aurora, was scheduled to appear in court Oct. 31 in St. Charles.