Teachers at East St. Louis preschool charged after allegedly making kids stand naked

Two East St. Louis preschool workers accused of making children stand naked in a closet as punishment now face criminal charges. Teacher Mary Agbehia, of Edwardsville, and teachers’ aide Shavonda Willis, of Fairview Heights, were each charged with felony aggravated battery for alleged physical contact with the children and unlawful restraint for allegedly ordering children to stand in the closet, according to a news release from the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s office.

Agbehia, 27, faces the battery charge for allegedly taking one boy’s shirt off for him. The battery charge for Willis, 41, is for allegedly touching a girl with an object she used to pretend she was giving the child an injection. The teacher and classroom aide have been on paid administrative leave since a supervisor called the SIUE Police Department on March 14. Schmoll said a boy in the class told his mother “what was going on,” and she told the school.

Police were told kids had been forced to take off their clothes and stand inside a closet for five to 10 minutes with the door open before they could get dressed and come back to the class. That punishment was for misbehavior like talking or not listening, Schmoll said.

IUE Human Resources Director Bob Thumith said Wednesday that the university hadn’t made a decision about Agbehia’s and Willis’ employment. They will remain on administrative leave until SIUE officials can look at the results of the investigations conducted by police and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, according to Thumith.

https://www.bnd.com/news/local/education/article229900624.html