No Charges Expected Against La Grange Driving School Owner

HINSDALE, IL – The owner of now-closed driving schools in La Grange and Hinsdale is not expected to face criminal charges.

That was the indication from the Illinois secretary of state's office.

In March, a state hearing officer's report said Bryan Kearney, owner of A Responsible Driver, "perpetuated fraud upon the Secretary of State."

The report said he submitted documents that indicated students had met state driving school requirements when they had not.

His actions, the report said, were "calculated to deceive."

According to the secretary of state's office, the agency's inquiry did not involve prosecutors.

"The Secretary of State's office exercised the full extent of its legal authority by first suspending and ultimately canceling the school's business license, permanently preventing it from operating or providing driver education services in Illinois," the office said in a statement this week.

The agency said its action protects Illinois consumers and ensures the school cannot do business in the state.

A Patch story last week detailed the allegations against Kearney.

Patch has been unable to reach Kearney for comment. The school's website is down, and its phone number is out of service.