Managing Partner Gina A. DeBoni's statement on the arrest in the Arlington Heights elementary school drug case

To learn more, please visit our informational page on the Investigation into Medicine Swap Harm at Westgate Elementary School in Arlington Heights, Illinois.

Romanucci & Blandin Managing Partner Gina A. DeBoni stated:

“We applaud the Arlington Heights Police, as well as the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, for their months of work on the investigation into the conduct of former Westgate Elementary School Nurse Tory Etiz, and ultimately charging in this case. On behalf of the parents of the children impacted, we are satisfied and grateful for her arrest. After four distressing months, the families involved can now breathe a small sigh of relief.

This is one meaningful step in justice, but Tory Eitz’s actions did not exist in a vacuum. We need to turn the spotlight now to Arlington Heights District 25 and its administrators and school officials for their willful and reckless conduct and their failure to take accountability.

Romanucci & Blandin represents nine District 25 families. During the course of our civil investigation, we learned that District 25 administrators and school officials knew of improper administration of medication, missing medication, and the failure to follow protocols when that medication went missing. This goes back as far as the 2022-2023 school year. We believe this evidence is a clear indication of District 25’s complicity in Tori Eitz’s actions. Their willful and reckless actions put the well-being and safety of many children at risk.

The violation of our clients’ trust by District 25 is absolutely astounding. To date, the district has employed a delay to defend strategy. As early as April of this year, our office issued FOIA requests for information to District 25. Instead of responding to FOIA requests, they have chosen not to provide any information. We were left no choice but to seek a review with the Attorney General’s Office. They have asked for and received an extension to respond until August 14th. Only time will tell if this is yet another delay to defend strategy.

Despite repeated requests by parents, District 25 has failed to conduct an independent investigation into its own policies and procedures and its own conduct. Instead of conducting an investigation and looking at themselves in the mirror, they continue to try to shift sole blame to the former nurse. It’s disgusting. These families deserve better. These children deserve better.”