Chicago area school food worker had child sex offender past

Batavia school administrators are considering ending their contract with food-services provider Sodexho after a child sex offender was found working in two school kitchens last week.

In response to this infraction, other area school districts also are re-examining their policies on background investigations for workers in their buildings.

"We are responsible for holding our vendors responsible -- there's no way around it," said Batavia School Superintendent Jack Barshinger. "It is our responsibility to make sure our vendors comply with all of our (policies)."

Gary Gasper, 41, of the 100 block of West Chicago Street, Elgin, has been charged with being on school property as a convicted and registered sex offender, a felony, Barshinger said.

Police arrested Gasper at Rotolo Middle School Monday after a school liaison officer conducted a background investigation that revealed he had been convicted of sexually assaulting a girl in Wisconsin 18 years ago.

Illinois law forbids convicted sex offenders from being within 500 feet of a school.

Gasper, a temporary worker who had been subcontracted by Sodexho, worked in Rotolo Middle School on Nov. 5, 6 and 11, and worked for a few hours in Batavia High School on Nov. 11, Barshinger said.

Sodexho is required to run background investigations on all employees who work in the district.

"It was most definitely a breach of their contract," Barshinger said.

A district investigation, tracing Gasper's whereabouts during those three days through staff interviews, is 90 percent complete, according to Barshinger. He said the final task is reviewing videotape from the high school.

So far, Barshinger said the district has not found any individual contact between Gasper and students.

In an attempt to rectify the situation, district administrators have been meeting with Sodexho representatives daily. Barshinger said the district is demanding the company send administrators paperwork on all employees whose criminal backgrounds have been checked.

The district has not yet made a recommendation on whether to continue Sodexho's service. Barshinger said a decision could be made at the next board meeting on Nov. 27.

After learning of the incident, administrators from the West Aurora School District contacted their food-service provider, Chartwells. Superintendent James Rydland said the district asked the company to review employees' background investigations and send the district the results.

The East Aurora School District -- which also uses Sodexho -- has an agreement with the company that background investigations will be performed, said district spokesman Clayton Muhammad.

"We definitely rely on Sodexho, and we have a strong relationship with them so far," Muhammad said.