Urban Prep Academies administrator forced out over claims of inappropriate relationship with student

CHICAGO (CBS) -- An administrator at Urban Prep Academies has been forced out after the Chicago Public Schools found he was involved in an inappropriate relationship with a 16-year-old student.

CPS Chief Portfolio Officer Alfonso Carmona issued a letter about the issue Wednesday to Urban Prep parents. The letter did not name the administrator.

CPS told parents that in April 2021, its inspector general initiated an investigation into the school administrator having inappropriate conduct with a student. The administrator was placed on leave of absence and forbidden from entering any CPS facilities – including those linked to Urban Prep charter schools.

He was also barred from having contact with Urban Prep students, Carmona wrote.

On June 30 of this year, the CPS Inspector General substantiated the allegations against the administrator – including that he'd indeed had an inappropriate relationship with the 16-year-old Urban Prep student and had engaged in other unspecified misconduct with the teen, the letter wrote.

CPS leadership ordered that the administrator be fired immediately. The administrator appealed the decision, and the CPS Title IX Coordinator denied his appeal, Carmona wrote.

The administrator has now resigned. CPS was informed of his resignation this past Friday, Carmona wrote.

The administrator remains banned from CPS buildings and cannot be hired by CPS again.

"Nothing is more important to Chicago Public Schools than student safety in our schools," Carmona wrote. "Chicago Public Schools is working with UPA to ensure that all UPA students are safe and that their rights are protected."

Carmona also emphasized that complaints of sexual misconduct anywhere in the CPS system are taken seriously – and students and staff who know of any such misconduct are urged to come forward.

Complaints may be made to the Office of Student Protections at 773-535-4400, OSPSUPPORT@CPS.EDU, or the online complaint form at www.cps.edu/osp, Carmona wrote.

Urban Prep ahs been celebrated nationally. For more than a decade, 100 percent of its seniors have been accepted to four-year colleges and universities.