Jail time, probation for former teacher
State to decide on certifications, official says
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| Aaron "A.J." Buser |
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ROCK FALLS – A former Rock Falls teacher was sentenced to jail and 4 years of probation after pleading guilty to stealing a prescription drug.
Aaron “A.J.” Buser, 36, was given 30 days, with credit for time served, on Dec. 26.
Buser, a former wrestling coach, was charged last January with burglary after stealing Vicodin from a Rock Falls home.
He still has his teacher certifications, which expire in 2015. The Illinois State Board of Education has been investigating him.
Whiteside County Regional Superintendent Bob Sondgeroth said he has mailed information regarding Buser’s case to the state board. He said he expects the agency to decide whether to revoke Buser’s certifications in a few weeks.
In February 2011, Buser resigned near the end of a 5-hour closed session of the Rock Falls High School board. He was accused of sending inappropriate text messages to a female student.
In one text message, Buser wrote to a student, “You’re hot. And a great girl. If you’re ever bored and want to hook up, I’m in.”
The district referred the text messages to the Rock Falls Police Department, which didn’t consider the texts criminal under current state law.
As part of his resignation agreement, Buser was barred from ever working for the district again and from attending high school activities, on or off campus through the end of the 2011-12 school year.
Theron Burall, who is listed as Buser’s attorney in the burglary case, didn’t return a message for comment Monday.
