Deerfield High School alumni, community, and current students urge the Lake County State’s Attorney, Michael G. Nerheim, to drop charges against Carrie Benito. "Señora" Benito has been a creative and enthusiastic Spanish teacher at DHS for more than 20 years.  To have her career and reputation be tarnished because of such an accusation is absurd.  Students and alumni who had Benito as a teacher remember her as a humorous and out-of-the-box instructor, but never once as a violent person.  Benito performed cartwheels in the classroom, threw blank test papers on the floor and encouraged us to "tear it up!" and played Eye of the Tiger Before final exams.  Benito was always inventive and vivacious in the way that she spoke, passionate about Spanish language and culture, and clever in her assignments.  She effectively prepared her students for honors and Advanced Placement levels.   Anyone who has experienced Benito's classroom would know that this incident must have been out of jest and void of any true malice.

We urge the state’s attorney to drop charges.