Peoria teacher charged with permitting and failing to report child sex abuse

PEORIA (25News Now) - A teacher at the Annie Jo Gordon Community Learning Center in Peoria was released from jail Thursday after she was arrested on allegations including that she permitted and failed to report the sexual abuse of a child.

Jennifer Cummins, 40, was arrested Tuesday. She is also accused of leaving a child with a known sex offender and released on a notice to appear in court.

According to a cached version of the school’s staff page of the Peoria Public School’s website, Cummins became a preschool teacher at Valeska Hinton in 2015, then moved to Harrison in 2016.

All teachers in Illinois are required to be trained, mandated reporters - requiring teachers to report observed or suspected abuse.

Cummins’ biography and listing on staff at Annie Jo Gordon have been removed.

A PPS spokesperson says they are “following the district’s personnel procedure” and “can’t divulge details.”

Cummins was released on a notice to appear. After she was booked Tuesday evening, it seems she remained at the Peoria County Jail until Thursday around lunchtime.

Under the new no-cash bail system, a person is released under certain conditions to remain free.

So far, the terms of Cummins’ release are unclear.

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