Parents at Rich Township High School are demanding answers after a hallway fight turned into what one family calls a violent overreaction by a district security officer. The parents of junior Kamora Chiles say cellphone video shows the officer putting their daughter in a chokehold and striking her, leaving a visible bruise on her shoulder. The district says the incident is under review, and, according to the family, local police issued a battery citation to Kamora's parents. The family has hired an attorney and plans to file its own police report.
Surveillance video and family account
According to NBC Chicago, station reporters reviewed school surveillance video that appeared to show an adult security guard being struck during a hallway scuffle. Kamora told the outlet, "I hit her, and security came and started choking me," and said the guard "pulled my hair out" and "swung me to the floor," which she says left a bruise on her shoulder. The family told the station that the Richton Park Police Department issued Kamora's parents a battery citation, and that they have retained an attorney and plan to file a police report of their own.
District and police response
Rich Township High School District 227 told NBC Chicago it was notified of an altercation involving two female students and another student, and that a sworn police officer assigned to the district stepped in. The district said the matter is "under review and pending investigation." The fight took place at the district's Fine Arts and Communications Campus, which Rich Township High School District 227 lists at 5000 Sauk Trail in Richton Park. The Richton Park Police Department, which lists its station at 4455 Sauk Trail, is the agency that the family says issued the battery citation.
Why training and policy matter
Illinois rules limit physical restraint and seclusion to emergency situations where a student poses a physical risk, and staff must be trained in approved techniques. The Illinois State Board of Education moved in 2019 to prohibit isolated seclusion and tighten reporting and training requirements, according to the Illinois State Board of Education. State guidance also bars restraints that could interfere with breathing and stresses documentation and timely notification of parents after such incidents.
What’s next
The family says it has retained an attorney and intends to file a police report. The older sister who was involved in the altercation faces charges and is scheduled to appear in court next month, according to what relatives told reporters. The girl's father told the station he wants the security officer either fired or retrained in restraint methods, and other parents and students at the campus say the episode has revived long-standing worries over how well staff are prepared to break up fights without making things worse. District leaders say they are reviewing what happened and plan to update the community as the investigations move forward.
