A Harvey, IL, man has pleaded guilty in adult court for beating a teacher at the Illinois Youth Center-St. Charles while he was a resident there.

Calvin Sutherland

Calvin Sutherland, 18, whose last known residence is in Harvey, on Wednesday, May 16, 2018, agreed to a sentence of 41⁄2 years’ imprisonment in the Illinois Department of Corrections in exchange for a guilty plea to aggravated battery to a teacher, Class 3 felony.

Associate Judge William J. Parkhurst accepted the plea.

Kane County Assistant State’s Attorney Debra Conforti stated in court that on June 28, 2017, Sutherland, a resident at IYC-St. Charles, was in a classroom at the facility. The victim, a teacher at IYC, entered the classroom and asked Sutherland to put away a deck of cards he had been using so she could begin class.

Sutherland refused, so the victim left the classroom to seek assistance from a guard who was in the hallway. While she was in the doorway, Sutherland punched the victim in the face several times causing her to fall backward and strike her head on the floor, knocking her unconscious.

The victim suffered a concussion, facial swelling, bruising and a strained neck. She continues to suffer from emotional and physical trauma and has not returned to work.

The criminal case against Sutherland originally was filed in Kane County Juvenile Court, and Judge Parkhurst granted a state motion to transfer the case to adult court.

According to Illinois law, Sutherland is eligible for day-for-day sentencing. He receives credit for 248 days served in custody.

SOURCE: Kane County State’s Attorney’s Office news release. To follow news releases directly from the SAO, visit the State’s Attorney’s website and Facebook page. All photos are from the KCSAO Facebook Page.