Settlement in case of CPS dean accused of sexual assault fails

Former Little Village Lawndale High School dean Brian Crowder was expected to plead guilty to aggravated sexual abuse

CHICAGO – An expected settlement for a former Chicago Public Schools dean accused of sexually assaulting a student was overturned Wednesday due to sentencing discrepancies.

Brian Crowder, 41, began to plead guilty to charges related to the sexual assault of a former student, but withdrew his plea before the judge could sign it because of confusion over the length of time he had been registered as a sex offender.

Crowder was charged two years ago after a former student, now 25, alleged she was sexually abused while attending Little Village Lawndale High School. The woman attended the school between 2013 and 2016.

Under the agreement, Crowder would have pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated sexual abuse, a Class 2 felony, and the other six charges he faces in the case would have been dropped, including the most serious charge, aggravated sexual assault.

As the parties discussed the terms of the agreement, an assistant district attorney who represented the one normally assigned to the case said that Crowder would have to register as a sex offender for life. However, Crowder’s attorney argued that they were under the impression that the registration period was 10 years, not lifetime.

Prosecutors also recommended that Crowder be sentenced to 30 months’ probation. The charge he pleaded guilty to carries a sentence of between four and 15 years in prison if convicted, Judge Mary Anna Planey said.

Crowder and his lawyers requested a delay, and Planey, representing presiding judge Stanley Sacks, scheduled a status hearing for early August.

Under the now-revoked agreement, Crowder would also have had to comply with several other requirements, including undergoing a medical test for sexually transmitted diseases and providing a blood sample to the Illinois State Police.

Prosecutors allege that Crowder first impregnated the former student when she was 15 and then took her for an abortion, falsely signing consent forms under the guise of being her father. The same incident occurred again about a year later, prosecutors say.

The victim’s lawyers had prepared a statement to read in court on her behalf. They said the woman was disappointed with Wednesday’s outcome but they would return to court later in the summer when the case was retried.

“Sex offenders have the highest recidivism rate and that’s why it’s important not to just throw them out for 10 years as a sex offender,” said attorney Martin Gould. “We hope he takes responsibility for the crimes he committed and the victim gets closure on at least that part of the case.”

Gould is representing the victim in a lawsuit filed earlier this year against Chicago Public Schools, alleging that school staff did nothing to stop the abuse after she reported it.

The young woman reported the abuse to authorities in 2021, about eight years after she allegedly told a teacher at the school about the abuse, and nothing was done.

In a May statement, CPS said the district “makes student safety and well-being its top priority and takes seriously its responsibility to ensure that all employees act in the best interests” of students.

Crowder’s next court hearing was scheduled for August 6.