Chicago Injury Lawyer Blog
A Northwest side teacher was charged with the sexual abuse of a student on March 13th according to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. The 29 year-old female teacher has been charged with two counts of criminal sexual assault and four counts of aggravated sexual abuse based on her alleged conduct with one of her students from January 27, 2009, through February 23, 2009, while she was teacher at Lawrence Hall Youth Services. Lawrence Hall is a non-profit institution for at-risk children and teenagers located at 4833 N. Francisco in Chicago. The teacher is accused of purchasing and consuming alcohol and marijuana with the minor boy and also engaging in oral sex and sexual intercourse. According to reports, she would pick the boy up approximately four times a week at various north side locations. She is accused of taking the boy shopping for personal items including a cell phone and clothing and also engaging in sexual activity with the boy in her car. The teacher would then return the boy to the school after curfew hours.
According to Chicago Police, the teacher was arrested and charged on February 20th. She could serve up to 15 years in prison if found guilty. A civil lawsuit has also been filed in the case naming Lawrence Hall as a defendant. The suit claims that the school was negligent in failing to notice that the teacher was spending time outside of school with the boy and failing to enforce its own drug policies.
Instances of sexual abuse can often be linked to institutional negligence in places like churches and schools. If you have been the victim of sexual abuse, you need a lawyer that knows exactly how to handle such a sensitive matter. Chicago personal injury lawyer Joseph G. Klest has decades of experience handling institutional sexual abuse cases. As a co-author of the 2003 Child Protection Act, Joseph Klest understands how to navigate sexual abuse cases in Illinois. Contact Joseph G. Klest for a confidential, free initial consultation.