Tinley Teacher Accused Of Attempted Murder Kept Working At School

A Tinley Park man accused of shooting a driver seven times during a road confrontation last year continued working as a substitute teacher at a Cicero middle school while he awaits trial, according to the Daily Southtown. Andres R. Rodriguez, 39, of the 18200 block of Kirby Drive, was charged with attempted murder in the July 2017 incident, but he has been free on bond following his arrest.

According to prosecutors, Rodriguez allegedly opened fire on a 25-year-old driver who reportedly hit Rodriguez as he was walking in the 6900 block of 173rd Place during the early hours of July 18, 2017. The driver — who was armed but claims his gun wasn't drawn when the confrontation began — was wounded in his stomach, side, back, arm and behind his ear. He survived the encounter after being taken to Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox, where he was treated.

Rodriguez, who claims his actions were self-defense, was arrested following the shooting. He was released on $500,000 bond July 19, 2017, and his next court date is July 12.

At the time of last year's incident, Rodriguez had been employed as an eighth-grade language arts teacher by Joliet School District 86, the Southtown reports. Weeks before the shooting, though, he was hired by Cicero School District 99 to teach fifth grade at Roosevelt Elementary School in the fall, the report added.

RELATED: Teacher Charged With Shooting Tinley Park Man Seven Times After Traffic Incident

But his District 99 position, as well as his school, changed following the shooting. For the 2017-18 school year, Rodriguez worked as an internal substitute and detention monitor at that school system's Unity Junior High School, the Southtown reports.

On Aug. 17, 2017, District 86 placed Rodriguez on paid administrative leave while it investigated the shooting, the report stated. His employment at District 99, however, remained unchanged, and records indicate the school system did not alert parents, staff or the Illinois State Board of Education that Rodriguez had been arrested and charged with attempted murder, the report added.

Even if the state school board had been told about Rodriguez's criminal case, the ISBE could only suspend his license if he had been convicted.

In a letter sent to parents Wednesday, District 99 officials said an employee had been placed on leave "several months ago," but Rodriguez was not identified in the message, according to WGN News. The letter was sent in response to "the media … sharing information regarding an inactive employee who is on leave from the district," the report added.

According to the Southtown, District 86 officials only recently became aware that Rodriguez was working for District 99 while he was employed with the Joliet school system. Records show that his District 86 base salary was $60,148, and his District 99 base salary was $57,589.

Now, the Joliet school system might be looking to recoup what it paid Rodriguez while he was working for both districts, the report stated. A recently proposed District 86 school board resolution will seek reimbursement for the salary and benefits it paid Rodriguez during that time, the report added.

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Andres R. Rodriguez (Photo via Tinley Park Police Department)