Misconduct Claims Against Accused Teacher Started as Early as 1960s

Winnetka school officials were told in 1968 about complaints against physical education teacher William Bricker for “irregular behavior” with boys, according to an article in the Chicago Tribune. He continued to teach at Hubbard Woods Elementary, despite more concerns, until 1985.

Bricker, now 94, started at the school in 1949 and was also a Winnetka Boy Scout leader. He is facing two counts of immoral acts with a child for allegedly sexually assaulting two boys at a summer camp in Wyoming in 1962 and 1985.

Parents, teachers and students complained about Bricker again in the late 1970s, saying he had improper physical contact with the kids, including kissing and lap sitting, the Tribune article says.

A former Hubbard Woods student contacted Winnetka police last month to say she, too, was abused in 1958. The Tribune article says the paper has identified at least six people who have accused Bricker of molesting them.

You can read the full Tribune article here.