A Highland Park High School teacher has been arrested and placed on leave after authorities say she physically abused her child by placing him in a chokehold and hitting him in the face in Wauconda.
Bridget B. Fahrner, 48, of Wauconda, was charged with domestic battery causing bodily harm, a Class A misdemeanor, and domestic battery by physical contact, a Class A misdemeanor.
The Wauconda Police Department responded on Sunday to Fahrner’s home in the 200 block of Oakbluff Court for a report of a domestic battery.
Fahrner and the victim are mother and son and a witness called police, saying she received a concerning text from her daughter, who is under 13, according to Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Nicholas Shepherd.
The daughter said in the text that Fahrner was grabbing the victim and thought Fahrner was going to rip the victim’s arm off.
She also reported that Fahrner had her hands around the victim’s neck, Shepherd said.
Officers spoke with the victim, who reported that Fahrner had hit him in the face with a paintbrush.
He said she additionally grabbed him by the neck and held him under the faucet, Shepherd said.
Shepherd said Fahrner then put her arms around his neck in a chokehold, the boy told officers.
The victim said he could still breathe because he was able to hook his hand under Fahrner’s arm.
Officers observed dried paint in the victim’s hair and redness to the boy’s jaw and neck, consistent with his story, Shepherd said.
Fahrner told police that she was disciplining the child for making a mess of glue and craft supplies and that she did grab the victim but it was to keep him from splashing water on her, Shepherd said.
Fahrner had watermarks on her clothes. The boy’s sister, who witnessed the incident, corroborated the victim’s version of events to officers.
There was already an active Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) case involving the family, Shepherd said.
Police have previously been to the home for domestic disturbances regarding Fahrner and the children.
“The defendant struck the victim in the face with a paint brush, grabbed the victim by the neck and held the victim under water, and then put the victim in a chokehold. Additionally, this all occurred while there is an active DCFS case regarding this defendant and family,” Shepherd said.
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office filed a petition to detain Fahrner pending trial but Lake County Judge Michael Nerheim denied the request, noting her zero criminal history.
The judge allowed Fahrner to be released from the Lake County Jail on Tuesday afternoon on pre-trial conditions of Level 4 pre-trial services monitoring, having no contact with the two children or the residence and not possessing firearms or dangerous weapons.
An attorney for Fahrner argued for his client’s release and said she has no criminal history and that the previous allegations of incidents involving her children were dismissed with no findings from DCFS.
Fahrner is a teacher at Highland Park High School and was immediately placed on administrative leave after the school district became aware of the arrest, according to Township High School District 113 Superintendent of Schools Dr. Chala Holland.
Holland informed the school community of the arrest and said Fahrner will remain on leave to give both the court and District 113 time to complete their investigations.
“District 113 has no further information other than publicly available arrest records,” Holland said.
The district said students who wish to talk to someone or who may be in need of support should contact Counseling Department Chair Jen Ginopolis. The school community can also submit a concern anonymously through the D113 Tip Line.
Fahrner is scheduled to appear in court again on September 1 for an arraignment hearing.