Latest news with #DownersGroveSouth
News.com.au
06-07-2025
- News.com.au
Married teacher accused of raping 15yo banned from marital home
The married American teacher accused of 'raping' a 15-year-old student has been forced to move out of her marital home after a judge denied her request to decrease the 'buffer zone' between her and the teenage student she is accused of sexually assaulting more than 50 times. Special education teacher Christina Formella, 30, is currently facing dozens of criminal charges, including sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual abuse, indecent solicitation of a child and grooming in relation to a former student she allegedly sexually assaulted after meeting at one of her soccer classes. The former high school teacher, who has since resigned from her job at Downers Grove South High School in Chicago, and has repeatedly denied being a 'predator'. However, prosecutors claim evidence shows the married woman, whose husband Michael is publicly standing by her, abused the student over a period of months and didn't stop until the boy's mother uncovered it. After initially being charged with two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and one count of criminal sexual assault against a minor in March, the charges were upped last month, with the total now coming in at 55 counts. Ahead of the trial, Judge Mia McPherson recently denied an earlier request from the prosecution to hold Formella in custody, instead setting a number of conditions for the former educator – including that she live at least 5000 feet (1.5 km) away from the alleged victim's home, school and workplace, Yahoo News reports. But with Formella living within that no-go zone, it has meant she has been forced to leave her marital home, and her recent request for the buffer to be reduced from 5000 feet to 2500 feet (0.75kms) have been denied, the New York Post reported. At a hearing at a DuPage County courtroom on Thursday, Formella was seen 'holding hands' with her husband as she was delivered the blow. During the appearance, she explained she has been living with her parents at their $US560,000 ($A855,000) home on a golf course since mid-June when her charges were upgraded and she was given an ankle monitor. The case shocked the world after details of the alleged sexual abuse first hit global headlines earlier this year. Formella was initially charged in March, with dramatic police bodycam footage showing the moment she was arrested. The special education teacher first met the then 14-year-old student in 2023 when she was his soccer coach, however, she later began tutoring the boy in private sessions after he broke his collarbone, documents obtained by TMZ allege. The pair then began messaging each other on a school platform, which prosecutors claim enabled Formella to give the boy her number so they could play '8-Ball Pool' on their phones. This contact then allegedly progressed to provocative texts, followed by a FaceTime meeting between the student and Formella. But it was in a classroom before school started in December of that year that the situation allegedly worsened. According to TMZ, the court documents claim Formella shut the door of the classroom and started kissing the victim, who reportedly fondled her, and she removed his clothes. They both allegedly took off her leggings, and he put on a condom and had sex with Formella. He was 15 and she was 28 at the time, prosecutors allege. Text messages between them show they allegedly later acknowledged to each other what they did was 'wrong', and never had sex again, with contact ending between them in February 2024. The details, described as 'sordid' by one US publication, come after alleged 'lurid' texts emerged amid the ongoing police investigation. Formella, who married her high school sweetheart in a lavish destination wedding in Italy's Amalfi Coast just nine months before the charges were laid, has claimed she's being 'framed for being good looking'. Her family have recently further fuelled allegations of being set up by claiming Formella is the victim of misogynistic 'sexist scrutiny' and bemoaned being painted as a 'predator', the New York Post reports. 'It's a spectacle — a public ritual that punishes women not for what they've done, but for how they're perceived,' a rep for Formella's family told the publication in a statement on Thursday. 'When men face accusations, we discuss evidence and procedure. When women face accusations, we attack their character, their choices, and their worth as human beings. 'This isn't justice — it's gender-based persecution disguised as accountability.' No date has been set yet for the trial, but Formella is facing a total of 55 charges in relation to the alleged sexual abuse of the 15-year-old student.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Yahoo
Husband stands by Chicago teacher accused of having sex with student more than 50 times
The husband of a Chicago high school teacher accused of sexually assaulting a student more than 50 times is showing support for her after the couple arrived in court seeking to reduce the distance from her alleged victim. Christina Formella, a 30-year-old teacher at Downers Grove South High School, is facing 55 counts of criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual abuse, indecent solicitation of a child and grooming. While Judge Mia McPherson denied an earlier request from the prosecution to hold Formella in custody while she awaits trial, a number of conditions were set for the former educator. One of the conditions requires Formella, a special education teacher and soccer coach, to wear a GPS tracker and live at least 5,000 feet (1,524 metres) away from the alleged victim's home, school and workplace. Formella's lawyer Todd Pugh asked the judge on Wednesday for the buffer be reduced from 5,000 feet to 2,500 feet, but the request was denied. Formella has been living with her parents since mid-June as the couple's marital home is within the exclusion zone mandated by the court. After the judge denied the request, Pugh said outside the courtroom that Formella has 'a great family, plenty of support,' reports the Chicago Tribune. Meanwhile, a person who sat behind the couple inside the courtroom on Wednesday revealed that they were smiling during the proceedings. 'Michael was holding her hand the entire time,' the source told the New York Post. 'They were smiling at each other, literally smiling at each other the entire time until she got up. They look really confident.' Formella was arrested and charged in mid-March after the alleged victim and his family went to the Downers Grove Police Department to report claims of inappropriate sexual contact. Following an investigation, the 15-year-old victim revealed further allegations of sexual abuse that dated back to January 2023 and continued through August/September 2024. 'It is alleged that during this time, Formella sent the victim multiple text messages that were grooming in nature and that she and the victim had engaged in sexual acts approximately 50 times, both at the school and at Formella's home, including at least 45 times at the school,' the DuPage County State's Attorney Office said in a statement on June 17 in which 52 additional charges were announced. DuPage County state attorney Robert Berlin called the new allegations 'beyond disturbing.' 'I thank the victim in this case for having the courage to come forward during what I image is an extremely difficult time for him,' Berlin said. Teacher's careless whispers about sex romps with teen brings charges Teacher accused of having sex with boy, 14, hit with 52 more charges
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Yahoo
Husband stands by Chicago teacher accused of having sex with student more than 50 times
The husband of a Chicago high school teacher accused of sexually assaulting a student more than 50 times is showing support for her after the couple arrived in court seeking to reduce the distance from her alleged victim. Christina Formella, a 30-year-old teacher at Downers Grove South High School, is facing 55 counts of criminal sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual abuse, indecent solicitation of a child and grooming. While Judge Mia McPherson denied an earlier request from the prosecution to hold Formella in custody while she awaits trial, a number of conditions were set for the former educator. One of the conditions requires Formella, a special education teacher and soccer coach, to wear a GPS tracker and live at least 5,000 feet (1,524 metres) away from the alleged victim's home, school and workplace. Formella's lawyer Todd Pugh asked the judge on Wednesday for the buffer be reduced from 5,000 feet to 2,500 feet, but the request was denied. Formella has been living with her parents since mid-June as the couple's marital home is within the exclusion zone mandated by the court. After the judge denied the request, Pugh said outside the courtroom that Formella has 'a great family, plenty of support,' reports the Chicago Tribune. Meanwhile, a person who sat behind the couple inside the courtroom on Wednesday revealed that they were smiling during the proceedings. 'Michael was holding her hand the entire time,' the source told the New York Post. 'They were smiling at each other, literally smiling at each other the entire time until she got up. They look really confident.' Formella was arrested and charged in mid-March after the alleged victim and his family went to the Downers Grove Police Department to report claims of inappropriate sexual contact. Following an investigation, the 15-year-old victim revealed further allegations of sexual abuse that dated back to January 2023 and continued through August/September 2024. 'It is alleged that during this time, Formella sent the victim multiple text messages that were grooming in nature and that she and the victim had engaged in sexual acts approximately 50 times, both at the school and at Formella's home, including at least 45 times at the school,' the DuPage County State's Attorney Office said in a statement on June 17 in which 52 additional charges were announced. DuPage County state attorney Robert Berlin called the new allegations 'beyond disturbing.' 'I thank the victim in this case for having the courage to come forward during what I image is an extremely difficult time for him,' Berlin said. Teacher's careless whispers about sex romps with teen brings charges Teacher accused of having sex with boy, 14, hit with 52 more charges
Chicago Tribune
18-02-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
At 5-foot-4, West Aurora's Maya Rabadan isn't your typical post player. But it doesn't bother her. ‘I like change.'
West Aurora junior Maya Rabadan was really surprised last season when she was asked to play in the post. That was understandable considering the 5-foot-4 Rabadan, one of the shortest players in the program, had never played inside. 'I was a guard freshman year and halfway through sophomore year we lost a player, so they just put me (at center),' Rabadan said. 'I'm not the tallest, so it was a little scary. 'But it was OK. I like change.' It turns out Rabadan likes playing in the lane, where the buck often stops with her. 'She's our leading rebounder nearly every game,' West Aurora coach Teresa Waldinger said. 'She's just so gritty when it comes to her defensive passion. 'It's all about heart, so we can always just count on Maya.' The seventh-seeded Blackhawks did so again on Monday. Rabadan scored four points and led all players with 11 rebounds and five steals as West Aurora eliminated 10th-seeded Downers Grove South 50-39 in a Class 4A Waubonsie Valley Regional semifinal in Aurora. It was the 12th consecutive win for the Blackhawks (21-4), who advance to face second-seeded Waubonsie Valley (28-1) at 7 p.m. Thursday for the regional championship. Senior guard Brooklynn Johnson led West Aurora with 27 points, while sophomore guard Syncere Williams added 10 points and senior guard Shiane Johnson had seven points. But it was Rabadan who set the tone early, recording four of her steals and three offensive rebounds in the first quarter while helping defend Downers Grove South star Hayven Harden. The 6-0 Harden scored 18 points, including the 1,000th of her career, but was held relatively in check on the boards, finishing with six rebounds. She fouled out midway through the fourth quarter with West Aurora holding a 43-37 lead. The Mustangs (16-16) went scoreless for nearly three minutes and tallied just two points the rest of the way. The St. Xavier-bound Brooklynn Johnson credited Rabadan for her work on Harden. 'She's just aggressive,' Johnson said. 'She's the most aggressive player, especially on boards. She really goes and gets after it. She wants it more than anybody else.' Rabadan demonstrated that throughout Monday's game. She attempted only three shots but had four offensive rebounds, including one with 1:15 left in the fourth quarter that led to Shiane Johnson sinking two free throws for a 48-39 cushion. 'She has that heart and that drive that you just can't teach a kid,' Waldinger said of Rabadan. 'She's so strong and she just wants it. 'She's always solid, but she was definitely more aggressive throughout the entirety (Monday).' Such resilience proved infectious as the Blackhawks earned a 26-24 rebounding edge on the taller Mustangs. West Aurora also feasted at the foul line of the physical and tightly officiated battle, sinking 22 of 30 free throws, with Brooklynn Johnson going 14 for 17. 'I feel like it was a team effort,' Rabadan said. 'All of us wanted the ball. All of us wanted to win.' And what was the key? 'It's just the rebounding, I guess,' Rabadan said. 'It's just heart and just wanting the ball.' While Rabadan hasn't added any height, the stature of her game is expanding. 'I feel like I've grown from the beginning of the season,' Rabadan said. 'I like scrapping for the ball and getting the ball, making sure we get a second look.' Although West Aurora will be huge underdogs against Waubonsie, the Blackhawks now have a chance to win their first regional title since 2006. 'I think we can win,' Brooklynn Johnson said. 'We all want it. We're all aggressive.'
