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Antioch teacher charged in grade tampering married to football coach

High school football coach says he was ‘blindsided’ by grade tampering

The Antioch High School teacher who police said illegally accessed the school’s computer system to change grades of students who were on the school’s athletic ineligibility list is married to the school’s football coach.

Brian Glashagel, the head of the varsity football team, said Saturday he was “blindsided” earlier in the week when he was told his wife, Sara, had tampered with the grades of several students.

The grades of some of the athletes on the Antioch Sequoits football team were changed by his wife, Brian Glashagel said, but it was all done without his knowledge.

“I was absolutely blindsided by this,” he said the day after his wife was charged with a single count of computer tampering by the Antioch Police Department. “I had no idea who was involved up until three days ago.”

Sara Glashagel, 27, of Elk Grove Village, turned herself into police Friday and was charged with computer tampering, a Class A misdemeanor. She is free on a $1,000 recognizance bond and is expected to appear in court Dec. 9.

Antioch Police Chief Craig Somerville said officers were contacted Sept. 28 and told that several students’ grades had been changed in the school computer.

Detectives, in cooperation with school officials and staff, conducted a lengthy investigation that resulted in the arrest of Sara Glashagel.

Somerville said Glashagel gained unauthorized access to the computer database on five occasions, and on each occasion, she changed numerous students’ grades.

The chief said he could not comment whether Glashagel was working independently or if someone else had asked her to make the changes.

Sara Glashagel said Friday and reiterated Saturday that this “is a misconception that has spiraled out of control.” She said that she intends to fight the misdemeanor charge in court.

School officials said Friday the grade changes were quickly caught and changed back, and they did not impact the eligibility of any students on the school’s in-house or Illinois High School Association eligibility lists.

The Antioch Sequoits varsity football team was undefeated and in first place in the North Suburban Conference Prairie Division facing Vernon Hills High School before the grade tampering, Brian Glashagel said. The Sequoits beat Vernon Hills by a score of 10-7, records show.

Sara Glashagel has been placed on administrative leave, though she remains an employee of the school district, officials said.

Brian Glashagel said he is currently trying to deal with the issue on three different levels — as a husband, as a head coach and as a teacher at Antioch High School.

However, he insisted he knew nothing about the grade tampering before being told Wednesday by administrators at Antioch School District 117.

“I am assuring everyone beyond my word that I had no knowledge of this taking place in the past,” he said. “I have offered to police to take a polygraph, and I am still offering that up today.”

He said he understands how it looks but insisted his wife acted alone.

“The administrators of Antioch are handling the situation internally, and I am trying to help out the school district any way I can,” he said.

Calls placed to school district officials Saturday were not returned.

Sara Glashagel
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