Ex-Counselor Accused Of Misconduct Banned From Schools After Arrest In Highland Park

HIGHLAND PARK, IL — North Shore School District 112 administrators addressed this week's on-campus arrest of a recently hired staff member.

Bayleigh Hoyt, 28, of Buffalo Grove, was taken into custody Tuesday at Sherwood School on charges of official misconduct and distributing harmful material to a minor stemming from her her time working as a counselor at the juvenile detention center in Vernon Hills two years ago, authorities said.

Police say Hoyt engaged in lewd conversations with a 17-year-old boy who she had met while he was detained at the Robert W. Depke Juvenile Complex Center. According to the sheriff's office, she sent the teen nude photos of herself and encouraged him to delete them before resigning from her job as a juvenile counselor.

According to Superintendent Mike Lubelfeld, Hoyt started working as a paraprofessional at Sherwood on Dec. 4, and there is no evidence that she engaged in any misconduct during her four and a half days working at the district.

"As with all hires, a criminal background check was conducted, and no indications of an ongoing investigation were found. This was due to the fact that they had not yet been arrested or charged at the time," Lubelfeld said Wednesday in a message to families.

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"We have discovered that this individual was not truthful about their background, and unfortunately, there were no indicators during the hiring process that could have revealed this deception," he said. "We are deeply angered and we profoundly regret this situation."

According to a spokesperson for the sheriff's office, the warrant for Hoyt's arrest was drafted and approved by a judge on the same day as detectives arrested her at work.

Hoyt resigned her job as a juvenile counselor in January 2023 and later worked at North Chicago Community Partners before her new position in Highland Park, according to an online resume.

Following her initial court appearance Wednesday, Hoyt was granted pretrial release since the charges approved by prosecutors are not detainable under the SAFE-T Act's public safety standard.

A judge ordered her placed on pretrial monitoring and ordered her to stay away from children or schools and to have no contact with the teen to whom she is accused of sending lewd messages.

The District 112 superintendent said Hoyt has been placed on leave and banned from school property. He said the district would follow all established personnel protocols and remain as transparent as possible through the process.

Hoyt is due back in court Dec. 18.

Earlier: Buffalo Grove Woman Charged With Sending Lewd Photos To Boy