High School AD Keeps His Job After Child Endangerment Arrest

The athletic director at Pekin (Ill.) Community High School has returned to work after his arrest last month for child endangerment.

As reported by WEEK-TV in Peoria, the Tazewell County State’s Attorney’s Office charged Cole Stoner, 36, with endangering the life or health of a child after he had been discovered drinking alcohol in a vehicle that had a four-year-old child in it.

The Class A misdemeanor could result in a month-long jail stint for Stoner, if convicted.

In a news release, Pekin Community High School District 303 superintendent Danielle Owens said Stoner self-reported the incident to school officials the next day, and he was placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation. Owens said the now-completed investigation found that Stoner was drinking while sitting in his parked car waiting for an oil change, and that his own child was in the car. The news release from the school district notes that Stoner is not charged with driving under the influence, Howard Packowitz and Tyler Lopez of WEEK reported.

“Mr. Stoner has denied that he was intoxicated but has acknowledged that his actions demonstrated very poor judgment,” Owens said in the news release.

“The Board of Education and administration of Pekin High School are disappointed with Mr. Stoner’s actions, and he has been reprimanded for his conduct and provided clear expectations for future conduct in the strongest possible terms,” the superintendent said.

Until his arrest, Owens said Stoner has been an “exemplary employee at PCHS during his tenure prior to this incident and he is entitled to the presumption of innocence while his court case is pending like any other citizen,” Owens said.

While Stoner has returned to work, the superintendent said, “this matter remains under review pending the outcome of the court case.”

The following is the superintendent’s statement in its entirety, as reported by WEEK:

“Pekin High School Athletic Director Cole Stoner was arrested while off-duty on Friday, March 29, 2024 and charged with endangering the life of a child. The arrest was self-reported by Mr. Stoner to PCHS the next day and he was placed on administrative leave while the matter was investigated by school officials. Law enforcement initially advised that the charge against Mr. Stoner stems from the consumption of alcohol prior to driving an automobile where his own child was a passenger. Law enforcement also indicated that Mr. Stoner has not been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or any other offense. The investigation revealed that Mr. Stoner consumed alcohol while sitting in his parked car waiting for an oil change at a local oil change facility. Mr. Stoner has denied that he was intoxicated but has acknowledged that his actions demonstrated very poor judgment. The school district’s initial investigation into this matter is now complete. The Board of Education and administration of Pekin High School are disappointed with Mr. Stoner’s actions and he has been reprimanded for his conduct and provided clear expectations for future conduct in the strongest possible terms. With that said, Mr. Stoner has been an exemplary employee at PCHS during his tenure prior to this incident and he is entitled to the presumption of innocence while his court case is pending like any other citizen. Mr. Stoner has returned to work and will remain an employee at Pekin High School at this time. This matter remains under review pending the outcome of the court case.”