GRANITE CITY, Ill. — A Metro East school district is under fire after a former teacher published an online book detailing a relationship he had with a female student.
Now many in the community are asking if the district is doing enough to protect students after Crider published an online tell all.
“It’s pretty gross,” said Granite City parent Stacie Johnson.
“I was dumbfounded,” said former Granite City student Devon Austin. “Why would he post this?”
That’s the reaction Devon Austin and Stacie Johnson had after reading parts of Crider's website, which recounts intimate details of Crider’s relationship with a female student who later took out a restraining order against him.
“The book was a lot to take in,” said Amy Robins, a forensic investigator for the Child Advocacy Center of Northeast Missouri.
At the time of Crider’s resignation then Granite City Superintendent Jim Greenwald told 5 On Your Side the relationship was conducted off school grounds, but the book says otherwise.
“He’s got a lot of explicit details in there about a classroom that I once sat in for two years,” said Johnson.
Greenwald said he contacted authorities on June 7, 2018, after he found out about the relationship.
According to the website, at least two teachers and one administrator were aware weeks earlier.
“If you have a suspicion it might have, it could have, it may happen you have to report it,” said Robins.
Since the girl was 18 at the time Granite City Police ultimately cleared Crider of any wrongdoing.
“In the state of Missouri, it’s illegal for a teacher to have a relationship with a student even if the student is of age and can consent to that relationship,” said Robins. “Per my research that law does not exist in Illinois.”
Failure to report suspected incidents can result in misdemeanor charges for a first violation and felony charges for any further violations.
“I think it needs to be addressed and people need to be charged if they didn’t say anything,” said Austin.
Granite City Superintendent Dr. Stephanie Cann sent this statement to the media and families on Friday:
Granite City Community Unit School District #9 is aware of the recent information brought forth by a former teacher at the district. I would like to confirm that this teacher has not been an employee in our district since 2018. Since GCSD9 initiated a report to the Illinois State Board of Education, this teacher does not have a current teaching license through the Illinois State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board.
Be assured that our staff are trained annually on the responsibilities of a Mandated Reporter.
Since my tenure, we have had additional training in these types of issues for both our Board of Education and all of our administration. There is also an extended training for teachers planned for the beginning of the 2022-23 school year as well. All district employees are, by law, mandated reporters, which means that knowledge of any inappropriate behaviors with students must be reported to the proper authorities.
If alerted to inappropriate behaviors on the part of any staff member, the district has and will continue to act immediately to investigate, appropriately deal with, and notify the proper authorities with any potential safety threat to students.
GCSD9 always has the safety and well being of its students as their utmost priority. Continued compliance with all laws and regulations concerning student safety will be adhered to the fullest extent.
Continuing to promote a safe educational environment for all students.
“Where was it when this happened,” asked Austin.
“They have to get better before my kids go to the high school or they’ll be starting freshman year in a new school district,” said Johnson.
We reached out to Andrew Crider multiple times for comment on this story - he declined our request for an interview.