NORMAL - Jon White has admitted sexually abusing two girls at Colene Hoose Elementary School in Normal and then eight more at Thomas Paine Elementary School in Urbana. | Unit 5 letter of recommendation for Jon White (PDF) | White sentenced to 48 years in prison | White apology

In 2005, he agreed to resign from Normal-based Unit 5 with a positive letter of recommendation that helped him get the job in Urbana. White had been suspended in 2004 for looking at pornography on his classroom computer in Normal, and a parent's complaint led to a request for his resignation a year later, officials have said, but that information was not conveyed to the Urbana district.

Unit 5 has taken steps to prevent something like that from happening again, school Superintendent Gary Niehaus said Friday -the day White was sentenced to 48 years in prison in the Urbana case. White, who was arrested Jan. 31, 2007, awaits sentencing in the Normal incidents.

"Unit 5 has already begun rewriting its human resources policies to ensure, not only that job candidates continue to be thoroughly screened, but also that appropriate, swift action is taken when any illegal or inappropriate activity is suspected," said Niehaus, who was not employed by Unit 5 until July 1, 2007.

"What's important here is that justice has been served," Niehaus said. "Jon White admitted to wrongdoing and he may well spend the rest of his life in prison. He'll never again be in a position to hurt children.

"We have great compassion for the victims of his abuse and for the families."

Hoose Principal Ed Heineman wrote the letter as part of an agreement that included the teacher's resignation. The letter was part of the evidence considered in White's Champaign County sentence.

In the letter of recommendation, Heineman said: "Mr. White was committed and dedicated to the teaching craft."

White taught at Hoose from 2003 to 2005, and Heinemann noted he had been White's supervisor for most of the year.

Heinemann's letter also said: "Parents have made positive comments to me regarding Mr. White's open communication style."

It also noted that White was interested in coaching student athletes. "Mr. White was willing to go beyond the school day with students," he wrote.

Heinemann declined to comment on the letter Friday, referring questions to Niehaus.

Jon Butler, president of Unit Five Education Association said there is no contractual agreement for Unit 5 to write a letter of recommendation, but it can be part of a resignation agreement.

"It is not uncommon that a neutral letter be given in a separation agreement," said Ben Matthews, an Illinois Education Association official who previously served as president of the Unit 5 teachers' union.

Matthews said he couldn't comment specifically on whether the letter in question was "neutral" because he wasn't involved with the case and didn't know all the background.

Neutral letters usually give the employee's name, years served, and what grade the teacher taught, he said.

Neither Alan Chapman, who was Unit 5's superintendent at the time, nor John Pye, the district's assistant superintendent of operations and human resources, could be reached for comment Friday.

Pye testified at Thursday's sentencing hearing that in April 2005, a Hoose parent complained that White had given her daughter a photo of an actress that White said resembled the fifth-grade student. The mother had threatened to contact police if White was not removed from the school, Pye said.

That prompted a meeting between the district and White.

"The result of that meeting was an agreement that Mr. White would not return to his classroom for the remainder of the year and he would submit his resignation from his position at Unit 5," Pye testified.

Pye confirmed to the court that the letter of recommendation was part of the agreement.

Under new policies, Niehaus said police and other authorities would be notified "when it is warranted" and that Unit 5 writes letters of recommendation only for staff members "with clean teaching records and of good character."

Pending state legislation should help Unit 5 and other districts in such situations in the future, he said.

"Thankfully, there is legislation being proposed to assist school districts in meeting this standard for either recommending or not recommending a former staff member for employment elsewhere," he said.

Champaign County Judge Harry Klem said White's misconduct began in Normal but apparently worsened as time went on.

"There was an agreement with Unit 5 (for White) to leave without getting fired because he was at the beginning stages of this," Clem said. "In my analysis, he moved to Urbana and the (misconduct) evolved and was still evolving at the time he was arrested."

He added: "This is not about the administration of Unit 5 or Urbana school systems and the whole ramifications that flow from his actions in those schools. … I'm sure they wish they had acted sooner and better in what I would describe as a unique situation, but that's not what this case is about."