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Former CPS Student Sues Board Over Alleged Grooming by Security Guard and Failure to Report

The complaint says mandatory reporters ignored a warning, intensifying scrutiny of Chicago Public Schools’ protections.

Overview

  • The lawsuit filed Tuesday names the Chicago Board of Education and alleges a female security guard at Farragut Career Academy groomed and sexually abused the plaintiff between 2012 and 2015.
  • According to the complaint, the guard posed as a mentor, messaged privately on Instagram, bought the student a cellphone, and the contact escalated to sexual encounters in a car and apartment, with threats to involve immigration authorities.
  • Attorneys say the guard’s ex-wife reported inappropriate messages to school administrators, yet CPS allegedly failed to alert police or Illinois DCFS as required by the state’s mandated reporter law.
  • The filing cites a potential conflict because the guard’s mother served in Farragut’s administration with access to student records, which plaintiffs argue discouraged reporting and undermined accountability.
  • CPS has not issued a public response, and the suit seeks compensatory damages including claims of willful and wanton conduct, referencing a recent $17.5 million settlement in a separate CPS sexual-assault case.