Two Evanston/Skokie School District 65 employees have been charged with sexually abusing minors, which did not involve any students, according to court documents and district officials. Carlos Mendez, the assistant principal at Washington Elementary, and his girlfriend, Maribel Flores Hernandez, a paraprofessional at the Joseph E. Hill Early Childhood Center, face aggravated criminal sexual abuse, according to court documents. They were arrested by Chicago police Feb. 5.Mendez, 51, and Flores Hernandez abused the child, who did not attend the Evanston/Skokie School District 65, “through the coordination of grooming and coercion” for nearly two years. Mendez was also alleged to have abused two other children who didn’t attend the school where Mendez worked. In a statement, the Evanston/Skokie District 65 said Mendez has been on a leave of absence from his job as assistant principal since Oct. 28, and Flores Hernandez has been on a leave of absence of her job since Jan. 16. “It is the District’s understanding that the allegations in question are unrelated to their professional responsibilities and do not involve any District 65 students. The safety and wellbeing of our community remains our highest priority. While these allegations are deeply concerning, this is a personnel matter and we are unable to share additional details at this time,” the district said in the statement. In a Cook County court hearing the day after their arrests, Flores Hernandez and Mendez were ordered detained, according to court records. Prosecutors say Mendez and Flores Hernandez allegedly approached the child in 2023…
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