School Dean Charged With Having Sex With Student, Posing As Her Father To Consent To Abortions
Brian Crowder, the former dean of students at a Chicago school is charged with forming a sexual relationship with a student.
Schools and their staff are supposed to serve as safe spaces for children. But in a growing matter, adults in authoritative positions abuse that power and act inappropriately with students. Months ago, at least 181 educators were charged with sex crimes against minors this year alone. Months later, that number is likely much larger and underreported. In a recent case, the dean of students at a Chicago school, Brian Crowder, is charged with forming an inappropriate sexual relationship with a student.
40-year-old Brian Crowder was once the dean at Greater Lawndale High School for Social Justice. Today, he is facing felony charges, accused of forming a sexual relationship with a 15- year-old student at the school back in 2013. The relationship was said to have lasted years, during which he allegedly posed as her step-father, to take her to abortion clinics and sign approval of her abortions.
According to reports from Fox News, the inappropriate relationship began when Brian Crowder started to communicate with the teen girl via Snapchat. After building a bond with her online, the school official began having sex with the student. According to The Chicago Sun-Times, the first rape occurred after the dean served the student alcohol. This was said to have occurred multiple times a month between 2013 and 2015.
In 2014, the student became pregnant with Brian Crowder’s child. At this point, he took the minor to abort the pregnancy. According to police reports, he posed at the girl’s stepfather. This way, he could sign and consent to the procedure. Even worse, this apparently happened again the next year, with the same outcome.
The sexual relationship ended in 2015. The minor student said that she told another teacher at the school about her and Brian Crowder’s relationship. The teacher allegedly advises the student to report the abuse, but she didn’t out of fear. For unknown reasons — whether it was because the teacher did not believe her, or wanted to keep it secret — they never reported the allegations themselves, despite the fact that school staff are required to under law.
While the relationship ended years ago, Brian Crowder reached out to the former student in 2019. Finally, in September 2021, the former student filed a police report against Brian Crowder. It was at this point that the school the dean still worked for took action and fired him from his position. It remains unknown whether this was a single incident, or if the school official had more victims at the school.
Brian Crowder is now charged with one felony count of criminal sexual assault. This criminal charge came after an extensive police investigation, in which authorities obtained medical records of the abortions, and obtained messages from Snapchat between the two. The 40-year-old former dean is being held in custody, with a $75,000 bond.
It remains unknown whether or not Brian Crowder posted bail or remains in custody. What is known, however, is that it appears the school may be guilty of keeping the situation secret from families. The former dean was terminated in November 2021, however, the school only sent out a statement to families about his arrest this past week.
