TROY – The Triad Community Unit School District #2 has attracted attention after parents learned that a man with a felony conviction is working at a Troy elementary school.
In 1999, Bryan Jasper was convicted with Statute 720 5/10-3, a Class 4 felony of Unlawful Restraint. The victim was 16 years old at the time of the offense. Jasper is currently employed as a custodian at C.A. Henning Elementary School. Parents have raised concerns about Jasper’s continued employment at the school.
“We’re just confused on, basically, what the hell is going on and who do we have around our kids,” said parent Michael Wilson.
During the 1999 case, Jasper also pleaded “not guilty” to Statute 720 5/12-16(d), a Class 2 felony of criminal sexual assault. According to Illinois state code, this charge is for “an act of sexual penetration or sexual conduct with a victim who is at least 13 years of age but under 17 years of age” when the defendant is at least five years older than the victim. This charge was ultimately dropped.
The conviction for unlawful restraint does not bar Jasper from employment at a school under Illinois law. In a communication to C.A. Henning families sent on Oct. 2, 2025, Superintendent Dr. Jason Henderson gave additional information about the district’s hiring practices and personnel policies and requirements.
He addressed the “unofficial social media activity” and “concerns expressed by parents” online, but emphasized that the district is legally limited in its ability to comment directly about specific district employees. The letter did not name a specific employee.
“Many statements that have been posted on social media were simply inaccurate,” Henderson wrote in the letter. “Some of these statements were not only incorrect but potentially rise to the level of slander, libel, or defamation.”
Henderson noted that every staff member undergoes an Illinois State Police background check, including a federal check conducted by the FBI. Any applicant with a disqualifying conviction cannot be employed in the district.
Additionally, the State of Illinois requires school districts to conduct checks of all employees against the Sexual Offender and Violent Crime registries every five years. Triad conducts these checks annually.
Henderson added that the employment and background check procedures follow all policies recommended by the Illinois Association of School Boards and the Madison County Regional Office of Education, which also conducts an annual personnel audit of the Triad district. All staff members participate in in-services and training on safety topics, including bullying, sexual harassment and grooming.
Wilson has filed a request for an investigation with the Illinois State Board of Education. He added that many parents are also frustrated by the Board of Education and the district’s handling of their concerns.
“Our school board here, they do not engage with the populace directly. You have to request to speak to them. You only have five minutes, and they will not engage with you. You can only come to them like a supplicant coming to royalty,” Wilson said. “To me, that’s pretty cowardly if you won’t engage with the people that elected you.”
Most Illinois Boards of Education will not directly respond to public comments during a school board meeting, but may direct the superintendent or another district employee to respond to a public comment in the days following the meeting.
Wilson added that he understands Jasper’s felony conviction does not “meet the letter of the law” to bar him from employment at a school, but he still believes the Unlawful Restraint conviction is “violent.”
“Now, I’m a pretty left-leaning dude, and I’m all about second chances,” Wilson added. “If you have a felony, you shouldn’t have to work under the table. You should be able to get a job. I understand the reasoning behind a lot of this. But we’ve got to find a balance of who’s around our kids. I’m not overly comfortable with a dude that’s got this kind of record being around my first grader.”
The district declined to comment further.
