Burbank teacher charged with sexually assaulting student

A kindergarten teacher is accused of sexually assaulting a student and soliciting child pornography from another at Jordan Baptist School in southwest suburban Burbank.

Shannon Griffin, 49, of Oak Lawn, is charged with five counts of criminal sexual assault, one count of soliciting child pornography, one count of distribution of harmful materials and one count of grooming, according to the Cook County sheriff’s office.

Judge John J. Mahoney ordered Griffin held on a $750,000 bail during a hearing Wednesday in the Bridgeview court house, according to county records.

She was arrested Monday after a month-long investigation found she had sexual contact with a student at the school, the sheriff’s office said. Investigators also learned she sent nude photos and videos of herself and requested nude images from that student as well as another.

According to charging document from Cook County prosecutors, Griffin had a sexual relationship with a male student, who was between 15 and 17 years old at the time, prosecutors said. They began communicating over SnapChat after Griffin met the boy his freshman year while traveling on a bus, prosecutors said. Griffin was a cheerleading coach and the boy was on the soccer team, prosecutors said.

According to prosecutors, Griffin communicated over SnapChat with another male student, then-16 years old, in 2018. She allegedly sent sexually explicit photos and invited the boy to engage in sexual acts, prosecutors said. The boy refused and alerted authorities.

The alleged conduct began in 2013 and continued until March 2019, the sheriff’s office said. The investigation is ongoing.

A call to Jordan Baptist School went unanswered Tuesday afternoon.

The school’s website lists “Mrs. Shannon Griffin” as a kindergarten teacher. Jordan Baptist School, located at 5040 W. 87th Street, serves students from kindergarten through high school, according to its website.

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