Niles teacher charged with hate crime for allegedly beating 87-year-old woman

A 45-year-old teacher is facing a felony hate crime charge for allegedly beating an 87-year-old woman of German descent last month in north suburban Niles.

Nancy Sweeney, a fourth-grade teacher at Franklin Elementary, was charged with felony counts of a hate crime and aggravated battery of a person over 60, Niles police said.

The woman told police that Sweeney hit her with her purse about 7:45 p.m. Feb 20 after Sweeney saw the woman exercising in the indoor parking garage of the building where they both live, police said. Sweeney allegedly called the woman a “(expletive) Nazi” before leaving.

The 87-year-old was cut and bruised on her body, but declined to be hospitalized after she was treated on the scene, police said.

The Park Ridge-Niles School District was informed of her arrest March 3, and Sweeney was placed on paid administrative leave the next morning, Peter Gill, Public Information Coordination with the district said. Sweeney has been employed by the district for 14 years.

She was released from custody after paying 10% of her $15,000 bond, according to Cook County court records.

Sweeney’s preliminary hearing is set for May 11.