Libertyville School District 128 administrator on leave after grooming allegations against former teacher

A top administrator in the Libertyville school district has been placed on leave after a fiery school board meeting focused on how the district handled allegations of grooming leveled against a former teacher.

Less than 24 hours after the Community High School District 128 Board Meeting Monday the district confirmed Associate Superintendent Briant Kelly was placed on leave after being heavily criticized by some outspoken parents and community members.

"Failure to mandatory report instances of suspected child abuse and grooming, failure to investigate failure to follow the law," said Marnie Navarro, parent.

In March, a lawsuit was filed against Libertyville High School and the school's former teacher and coach Parker Rohde for an alleged "campaign of grooming against a 15-year-old junior with Down syndrome.

According to the lawsuit, one example of his alleged inappropriate behavior was documented in a voicemail Rohde left for a colleague, where he admits to rewarding students who hug him and tell him that they love him. 

"I want to make sure that, that [the student] gets a 50 out of 50 out of 0 points, right? Fifty extra credit points because I started a new policy this year. The first student that comes up voluntarily on their own and gives me a hug and tells me that they love me, the first student to do that gets three 50x credit points," the voicemail says.

"Listening to this voicemail, I'm sick," said Dan Vosnos with the National Down Syndrome Society.

Vosnos, who is also the father of a 7-year-old with Down Syndrome, also spoke at Monday night's meeting.

"This is not a gray area this is a documented failure to follow the law," he said.

There is growing sentiment among parents that the school district's decision to handle the investigation internally and allow Rohde to retire early with benefits was inappropriate, and illegal, according to an email obtained by CBS News Chicago Investigators from the district's superintendent to the alleged victim's mother.

"After receiving the voicemail from Rohde… District administrators had a duty to report immediately to the Department of Children and Family Services," he wrote. But the district did not.

Rohde did not respond to a request for comment, and attorney listed as his lawyer on an email with the district said he does not, nor has he ever, represented Parker Rohde.

Tuesday the district would not elaborate on the exact reasons for the associate superintendent's leave. Vosnos believes the fallout has just begun.

"There needs to be some accountability within the school district," he said.

The district did not respond to specific questions from CBS News Chicago. In a statement, a spokesperson said, "The District is following all required laws and procedures" and that they would share more information when it's "appropriate."