Jan. 29--Police are investigating who sent a graphic email containing "an offensive nude image" to as many as 5,400 high school students in Palatine earlier this week.
The email with a "graphic and offensive" image arrived Tuesday evening in the school email accounts of students at Palatine and William Fremd high schools, which have about 5,400 students total. The explicit email is not believed to have come from within the district, said Tom Petersen, Township High School District 211 spokesman.
"All of our students have a district-issued email address, and this was not an email from within District 211. It wasn't another (district) kid sending it," Petersen said.
Superintendent Daniel Cates said in a statement posted on the district website that the explicit email contained "an offensive nude image" and it was reported to police because it was sent to minors.
The schools were first notified of the email Wednesday morning.
The district's technology department workers have tried to remove the email directly from the student accounts but were not able to do so. Officials said it is still trying to trace the origins of the email.
Parents were notified by email Wednesday afternoon of the situation.
The school is directing anyone with information about the case to call the school resource officer, William Leyden, at 847-755-2660 and is asking parents to warn their children about unsolicited emails. The school statement also called the issue an opportunity to "reinforce civil use of electronic messages that demonstrate good judgment."
The Palatine Police Department confirms it is investigating the matter but would not comment further Thursday morning.
The district is cooperating in the criminal investigation, Petersen said. The student emails have not been suspended or in any other way affected.
"We're trying to keep school going as normal as possible, with as few distractions as we can," he said.
