from www.heraldnews.suntimes.com – PLAINFIELD — Plainfield School Board members accepted the resignation Tuesday of a teacher arrested earlier this month for allegedly having sex with a 16-year-old male student.
Ashley M. Blumenshine, 27, of Lisle, was charged with aggravated criminal sexual abuse after police reportedly found her and the boy in a vehicle at 6:19 p.m. Jan. 4 outside Kohl’s, 11860 S. Route 59.
Blumenshine, a tenured teacher at Plainfield North High School, submitted her resignation letter to the board, which accepted it Tuesday night.
The board directed Superintendent John Harper to start the process through the Will County regional superintendent of schools and state superintendent of school to suspend and revoke Blumenshine’s teaching certificate, district spokesman Tom Hernandez said.
The board also directed the superintendent to continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement authorities in the pending criminal proceeding against Blumenshine.
Blumenshine’s resignation allows the district to move forward without engaging in what could have been a lengthy and expensive teacher dismissal hearing involving witnesses, including Plainfield North High School students and staff members. Hernandez said he didn’t have an estimate of what it could have cost the district.
Blumenshine taught physical education and dance and has worked in the district since 2006. She coached golf at Plainfield North, serving as head coach last school year and assistant coach in the 2008-09 school year. She also taught driver’s education in the summer in 2008. She was also an assistant cheerleading coach at Plainfield South High School in the 2006-07 school year.
Hernandez said Blumenshine has not returned to Plainfield North High School since she was arrested. A long-term substitute teacher is teaching her classes.
Blumenshine has been on unpaid leave since Jan. 10, six days after her arrest. She will be paid for work performed prior to the Jan. 7 pay date. She is also eligible to continue health insurance coverage at her expense as allowed by federal law. No other payments or benefits will be provided to her.
Judge Marzell L. Richardson set Blumenshine’s bond at $75,000 on Jan. 5. Her parents bailed her out that evening. She is not to have any contact with students at Plainfield North or minors she is not related to.
Police Chief William Doster said officers were on patrol checking the parking lot when they saw two vehicles parked next to each other. One was unoccupied. In the other, Blumenshine was in the driver’s seat and the boy was in the backseat. Assistant Will County State’s Attorney Mary Fillipitch said both occupants admitted they had just engaged in consensual sexual intercourse and a condom was taken as evidence from the vehicle.