Paul Boron is a 13-year-old student at Manteno Middle School in Manteno, Illinois a small town located an hour outside of Chicago, Illinois. In April 2018 he was charged with felony eavesdropping after recording a conversation with Manteno Middle School principal, David Conrad and assistant principal, Nathan Short. ^[1]

Paul Boron lives with his mother, Leah McNally, and four siblings in Manteno, Illinois. He is a student at Manteno Middle School, the only middle school in the town. ^[1]

Paul Boron aspires to serve in the United States Armed Forces after finishing school. However he worries that his disability of being legally blind in his right eye will hurt his chances. He is even more worried that a felony conviction will further limit his career opportunities. ^[1]

On February 16, 2018, Boron was called to the principal’s office at Manteno Middle School after failing to attend a number of detention. Before meeting Principal David Conrad and Assistant Principal Nathan Short, he began recording audio on his mobile phone. ^[1]

Boron said he argued with Conrad and Short for approximately 10 minutes in the reception area of the school secretary’s office, with the door open to the hallway.

When Boron told Conrad and Short he was recording, Conrad allegedly told Boron he was committing a felony and promptly ended the conversation.

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In April 2018, Paul Boron was charged as a juvenile with one count of eavesdropping – a class 4 felony in Illinois under the Illinois eavesdropping law also known as the Illinois wiretapping law. ^[1]

Paul Boron said, “If I do go to court and get wrongfully convicted, my whole life is ruined.

I think they’re going too far.”

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In his petition to bring the charge, Kankakee County Assistant State’s Attorney Mark Laws wrote that Boron on Feb. 16 “used a cellphone to surreptitiously record a private conversation between the minor and school officials without consent of all parties.”

Members of the Manteno Community Unit School District No. 5 board, Conrad and Short have not responded to requests for comment on the incident.

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State’s Attorney Jim Rowe said his office cannot comment on any juvenile cases or release documents.

Rowe said his office is upholding the state law.

“We cannot comment on a pending matter, and we are not authorized to release confidential student information to the press,” district Superintendent Lisa Harrod wrote in an email.

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Boron’s mother, Leah McNally, was shocked when she learned about the charge against her son.

“It blew my mind that they would take it that far … I want to see him be able to be happy and live up to his full potential in life, especially with the disability he has,” she said.

Her son is legally blind in his right eye.

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