A former Dwight Township High School Teacher was found not guilty of sexually assaulting a male student.  The Livingston County jury trial ended Tuesday. 

36-year-old Kathy Patten of Dwight was facing 5- felony counts of criminal sexual assault. The charges alleged Patten sexually assaulted a male student between the ages of 13 and 17 five times somewhere in Livingston County between November 2018 and February 2019. In May of 2019, Patten was arrested by the Livingston County Sheriff’s Department. 

The victim in the case testified on behalf of the Livingston County State’s Office.  Prosecutors also called several students and others during the trial.  Attorney Charles Schierer of Peoria represented Patten in this case. Patten told the jury her side of the story and denied ever having a sexual relationship with the student. Schierer said no DNA evidence was collected from any of the alleged sexual assault locations.  Schierer told the jury this was a he said she said case. He said if you don’t know for sure, it has to be not guilty.

94.1 WGFA