Winnetka Schools to Release Records of Former Teacher Accused of Sex Assault

The Winnetka’s District 36 School Board released the following letter Thursday in response to the arrest of former teacher and Boy Scout leader William Bricker on charges that he sexually assaulted minors in the 1960s and 1980s:

An Open Letter to The Winnetka Public Schools District 36 Community:

As we communicated to our parents and staff last week, The Winnetka Public Schools was contacted by Wyoming law enforcement authorities regarding a request for records relating to an ongoing investigation. The subject of the investigation is Bill Bricker who served as a physical education teacher at Hubbard Woods School three decades ago from 1949 to 1985. The investigation is related to alleged inappropriate conduct with minors. We will continue to cooperate and respond to any future law enforcement inquires associated with this matter.

The School Board has determined that any and all records from Mr. Bricker’s personnel file will be immediately provided to law enforcement authorities both in Wyoming and here in Winnetka.

The District will also release records to the public on or before October 8, 2014. We have provided these records to our attorneys for the purpose of redacting identifying personal information (names, addresses, phone numbers, etc.). This is both appropriate and required by law, and must be done before the District makes these available to the public. More details about how to access the documents will be shared at the time of release.

We want to emphasize that The Winnetka Public Schools is committed to protecting and ensuring the safety of our learning community and the well being of our students. The District conducts criminal background checks as a part of our pre-employment process. In addition, all faculty and staff participate in annual mandatory training regarding the parameters of appropriate conduct with minor students, as well as other topics related to maintaining a safe school environment. All District faculty and staff members also affirm in writing their acknowledgement of a duty to report any situations that could cause harm or present a danger to a student.

We encourage individuals with questions, concerns, or information relevant to this specific investigation to contact Charlotte Reynolds with the Teton County Sheriff’s Office at 307-732-5786. Anyone with information regarding a crime in Winnetka should contact the Winnetka Police Department at 847-501-6034.

As always, we thank you for your support of The Winnetka Public Schools and our students.

Sincerely,

The Winnetka Public Schools Board

Kendra Wallace, President

William Meuer, Vice President

Betsy Owens, Secretary

Dana Crumley

Matthew Hulsizer

Jon Kaplan

Thomas Shannon