Three East Chicago Central High School officials are facing criminal charges after entering a student’s home without permission to recover stolen property following a football game on October 25, 2024.
The Lake County Prosecutor’s Office filed charges in mid-December against Principal Abrian Brown, Dean of Students Corey Bailey, and Head Boys’ Basketball Coach Alaa Mroueh. Each is charged with Residential Entry, a Level 6 felony in Indiana.
Court documents allege the administrators took matters into their own hands after surveillance footage revealed that three students had stolen AirPods, Crocs, headphones, and Nike joggers from the visitors’ locker room during the game. Rather than involving law enforcement, the officials reportedly tracked the stolen AirPods to a student’s home and entered the residence around 11 p.m.
The student’s mother recounted being startled awake by banging on the door and footsteps entering her home. She said Mroueh confronted her son in the kitchen while she was unaware of what was happening. The mother acknowledged her son’s theft but criticized the school officials’ actions, describing the incident as inappropriate and likening their behavior to a mob.
After reporting the incident to police on October 28, the mother met with the administrators to discuss what had happened, recording the conversation. In the audio, one administrator admitted they were “trying to avoid [the students] going to jail.”
The school officials, however, have denied forcing their way into the home. Principal Brown told police the door “just opened” and that they stood at the top of a stairway while the student retrieved the stolen items.
Brown, Bailey, and Mroueh have not been arrested but have been summoned to appear in court, with an initial hearing scheduled for March 6. This incident has raised serious questions about the conduct of school officials and the appropriate handling of student misconduct.
