Criminal charges have been dropped against a Calumet City teacher accused of giving nicotine gum to sixth graders, a move that has parents fuming and talking to lawyers. The decision comes months after several students said they felt sick and one child was treated for what his mother called nicotine poisoning, sparking a broader fight over accountability and classroom safety.
Prosecutors Drop Charges
Cook County prosecutors on Wednesday dismissed all seven misdemeanor counts stemming from the incident, saying the evidence on hand would not clear the state’s burden of proof, according to the Chicago Tribune. The office told the paper its review concluded there was not enough to move forward with criminal prosecution.
How Parents Say It Happened
Parents say the trouble started on Oct. 3, when a teacher at Creative Communications Academy allegedly handed out nicotine gum during class and roughly a dozen sixth graders chewed it, according to the Daily Southtown. Several students later reported nausea and dizziness, and one mother said her son was taken to urgent care and treated for symptoms she described as nicotine poisoning.
Arrest, Leave And Classroom Shakeup
The teacher, identified in court records as Eric Baah, was arrested in November and charged with seven counts of misdemeanor reckless conduct or bodily harm, local coverage shows. Dolton School District 149 then placed him on administrative leave and reassigned the affected students to different classrooms while the incident was investigated, the South Suburban News reported.
Families Consider A Civil Suit
Seven families whose children were in the classroom have now hired attorney Jarrett Adams and are exploring civil claims, the Chicago Tribune reports. Adams told the paper the parents want answers on how nicotine products ended up in a middle school classroom and what the district plans to do to make sure it does not happen again.
Officials Call For Answers
Local elected officials are also pressing for clarity. Calumet City 2nd Ward Alderwoman Monet Wilson, who shared the district’s letter to families on social media, called the decision to move students into new classrooms “nonsense” and urged more direct support and clearer accountability for the families affected, according to the Daily Southtown.
Legal Next Steps
With prosecutors opting out of a criminal case, the fight now shifts to civil court, where the bar is lower. In a civil lawsuit, plaintiffs must prove their claims by a “preponderance of the evidence” meaning it is more likely than not that their version of events is true, a standard outlined by Cornell Law. That threshold is different from the higher burden that applies in criminal trials.
Dolton District 149 has said it cooperated with investigators and followed recommended health protocols after the October incident. Parents and alderpeople, however, say the community still deserves a fuller explanation of how nicotine gum reached a sixth-grade classroom. For now, families are weighing civil options while city and school leaders face growing pressure to account for what happened and what comes next.
