Kindergarten Teacher Convicted Of Sexually Abusing Student: Judge

EAST AURORA, IL — A former elementary school teacher was found guilty of sexually assaulting and abusing a student at Bardwell Elementary School in East Aurora, a Kane County jury found Monday.

Juan C. Avendano, 65, is scheduled to be sentenced for three counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child and another three counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse, according to prosecutors.

Prosecutors said Avendano inappropriately touched a then-kindergartener during class time and would sometimes kiss the young student in a closet off of his classroom. Avendano was a teacher in East Aurora School District 131 for about 15 years, school officials said.

"As is our customary practice, Mr. Avendano was placed on administrative leave on March 8, 2018, immediately after we learned about the investigation, has not worked in our district since that time, and was subsequently terminated," a statement from Bardwell officials read.

While a representative from Bardwell said the school accepts the jury's outcome, they continue to refute that Bardwell employees would enable or overlook Avendano's predatory behavior.

Judge Salvatore LoPiccolo set Avendano's sentencing for Sept. 29. Each charge carries a maximum of up to 30 years in federal prison.

Prosecutors said the abuse occurred between August 2016 and June 2017. A lawsuit found teachers and a former principal at Bardwell Elementary were made aware of other abuse allegations as early as 2014, but did not report them until 2018.

In addition to his prison term, Avendano must register for life as a sexual offender. He had originally been free on $25,000 bond, but upon his conviction, LoPiccolo ordered Avendano held in Kane County Jail until sentencing.