Nine lawsuits filed against Arlington Heights school district over nurse’s medication mix-ups

Nine lawsuits filed against Arlington Heights school district over nurse’s medication mix-ups

Nine lawsuits have been filed against Arlington Heights District 25. They claim a school nurse was giving kids the wrong medication and officials looked the other way.

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. - A suburban school district is facing nine civil lawsuits filed by families who claim a former school nurse endangered children by mismanaging prescription medications at Westgate Elementary School.

The backstory:

Tori Eitz, a 48-year-old former registered nurse, was fired by Arlington Heights School District 25 in May 2024 after an internal investigation into her handling of student medications. 

She was arrested in August and charged with 13 counts, including official misconduct, forgery and endangering the life or health of a child. Her next court hearing is scheduled for May 5.

According to attorneys for the families, Eitz is accused of lying about lost pills, swapping prescription medications with over-the-counter drugs and altering school documents to conceal her actions. 

9 lawsuits filed against school district

What they're saying:

The lawsuits allege that district officials failed to act on red flags and allowed the misconduct to continue.

"In the totality, it was clearly a pattern and practice of Tori Eitz to manipulate parents to bring additional medication to school with a variety of excuses," said Michael Cerasa, a partner at Romanucci & Blandin, which is representing the families.

Michael Holden, also with the firm, said the lawsuits are not only seeking justice for the impacted children but also accountability from district leadership. 

"They want each of the individuals who allowed and enabled Eitz to do this to be held accountable," he said. Each lawsuit seeks at least $50,000 in damages.

Arlington Heights police launched an investigation in April 2024 after receiving a report from District 25 regarding concerns about Eitz’s conduct. Detectives said they interviewed staff, parents and witnesses, ultimately identifying multiple affected students and discovering altered official documents.

School district responds

The other side:

In a statement released Thursday, Superintendent Dr. Brian A. Kaye and School Board President Greg Scapillato said the district immediately notified both the Arlington Heights Police Department and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services when concerns were raised. Eitz was terminated on May 8, following the district’s internal investigation.

"We sincerely regret the pain and disruption this incident has caused to the families impacted and our school community," the district said. "The safety and well-being of our students is always our highest priority."

In response to the incident, the district implemented new medication management protocols at the beginning of the current school year. These changes include defined roles for all parties involved in medication handling, stricter counting and documentation procedures, and regular verification checks by multiple staff members.

District 25 officials said they conducted a thorough review of medication procedures with input from parents and external medical professionals. They said they remain committed to transparency and student safety as legal proceedings continue.