IL School Board President Charged With Exposure, Resigns: Reports

CHAMPAIGN, IL — The school board president of a central Illinois district has resigned after he was accused of masturbating at a park where children were playing, according to reports.

Frederick H. Koss, 70, of Pesotum, was arrested July 5 and charged with lewd exposure, a misdemeanor, according to jail records. On Monday, he resigned effective immediately from his position as president of the Community Unit School District #7 Board of Education, according to a letter Koss sent to the district’s superintendent that was published by Illinois Leaks.

Koss was parked July 5 near Hessel Park in Champaign when a trained sexual-assault nurse examiner pulled up next to his vehicle and saw him masturbating while looking at children playing at a splash pad, The News-Gazette reported. The woman took photos of Koss and made note of his license plate, then contacted police, according to The News-Gazette, which reported that Koss told law enforcement he had been watching a video on his phone and touching himself.

Koss appeared in court Wednesday, where he was arraigned, according to court records. His next appearance is set for Aug. 25.