School board candidate charged with misdemeanor battery

KANKAKEE – A candidate running for a seat on the Kankakee School District 111 board, Dajon Casiel, has been charged with Class A misdemeanor battery following an incident last year involving a current Kankakee High School student.

It is punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $2,500.

Due to the incident, the 19-year-old Casiel has been temporarily banned from Kankakee High School during school hours.

Kankakee Police Chief Chris Kidwell said police investigated the alleged incident and forwarded their findings to the Kankakee County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Kankakee County State’s Attorney Jim Rowe said his office would file charges against Casiel.

The alleged incident occurred Oct. 29, 2024, off-campus, according to a Kankakee police report.

The report was filed Feb. 6, when Kankakee police were contacted by the high school.

According to the report, Casiel took the victim and another person to get some food. When he dropped the victim off, he grabbed her buttocks.

The victim said she was “shocked and walked away,” the report said.

The victim said as she was walking away Casiel said, “I hope there’s no red beams on my head now,” the report said.

Casiel later texted the victim to apologize for grabbing her rear end, the report said.

The victim said she had seen Casiel on several occasions since the alleged incident, but avoids being in close contact with him, according to the report.

The victim said she talked to another female who described a similar incident she had with Casiel. That person said she did not report it because she thought nothing would be done, the report said.

A Feb. 13 letter from Willie Hunt, District 111’s director of safety and security, addressed the alleged October 2024 incident involving Casiel and the student.

The letter informs Casiel that he is banned from KHS, effective Feb. 6 through July 1, 2026.

According to the letter, Casiel may attend events that are open to the public; however, he is banned from being on school property during school hours and when no public events are occurring.

“We understand that although this matter is still under investigation, we have to take into consideration the well-being of all the parties involved,” according to the letter.

Casiel graduated from KHS in 2024 and is one of six candidates vying for one of four open seats for a four-year term on the school board.

Two other candidates are seeking election for a two-year seat on the seven-member board.

Casiel participated in a March 4 debate for District 111 board hopefuls hosted by the Kankakee County Branch of the NAACP at Kankakee Community College.

After the debate, Casiel confirmed to the Daily Journal that he has been temporarily banned from KHS, and he still intends to run for the board seat.

“[The ban] is not a permanent thing,” he said. “A situation occurred some months back. It’s been brought to the forefront, unfortunately. It’s politics.”