Editor's note: Four days after this story was published, the Utica police chief told WGLT it appears no formal charges will be filed against Miller in this case. That updated story is available online.
A Bloomington-Normal cheerleading coach and teacher has been placed on leave as authorities investigate an alleged incident at a hotel in LaSalle County.
Andrew “Drew” Miller was placed on paid administrative leave from his position as University High School competitive cheer coach, an Illinois State University spokesperson said Tuesday. (U-High is an ISU lab school.) Miller was also placed on paid administrative leave Sept. 6 from his job at Unit 5’s Chiddix Junior High School, where he taught seventh grade language arts and science and coached track and field, said Unit 5 attorney Curt Richardson. The alleged incident is unrelated to his Chiddix/Unit 5 job, Richardson said.
An investigation is underway into the incident involving Miller that allegedly happened in July at Grizzly Jack’s Grand Bear Resort in Utica, said North Utica Police Chief Rodney Damron.
The incident involves alleged verbal conduct—not physical—between Miller and a juvenile, Damron said.
Utica police began investigating after receiving a referral from the Normal Police Department. NPD was notified by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to look into the matter, said NPD Assistant Chief Eric Klingele. Police determined it was outside of NPD’s jurisdiction and referred it to the Utica police, Klingele said.
Authorities would not comment further on the incident itself. The incident involved Miller and a juvenile, Klingele said. While it was unrelated to his work at Chiddix, parents of his Chiddix students were notified about his being placed on leave, Richardson said. Unit 5 found out about the incident from an unspecified agency, not ISU or U-High, he said.
U-High assistant cheer coach Natalie Montoney has assumed head coaching duties “at least in the short run,” said ISU Lab Schools Superintendent Dana Kinley. Parents of cheer students were notified during the week of Sept. 2 in face-to-face meetings, but she said no specifics were disclosed because it’s a personnel matter.
“As a matter of course, U-High and ISU administration cannot discuss specific details of personnel matters,” said ISU spokesperson Eric Jome.
Miller has not responded to requests for comment.
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