**Four Former Oswego High School Students File Lawsuit, Accuse District of Ignoring Sexual Harassment Complaints**
OSWEGO, Ill. (WLS) – Four former students of Oswego High School have filed a lawsuit against the Oswego Community Unit School District 308, alleging that the district ignored their sexual harassment and abuse complaints against a former teacher and coach.
Kala Sundstrom, Anne Marie Fish, Natalie Grimm, and Jillian Lake shared their painful experiences at a downtown Chicago law firm on Wednesday. The women say they endured a pattern of grooming, sexual harassment, and abuse during their high school years.
Because the former teacher has not been charged with a crime, ABC7 Chicago is not naming him.
“Going to school every day was terrifying, not only because of the teacher being at the school, but also because I had come forward in the first place,” Lake said.
The four women said they feared being ostracized in their small, tight-knit community if word got out that they reported the abuse to the school district.
“I was terrified to go home every day. We eventually moved out of Oswego. I’ve also been diagnosed with anxiety and depression due to this,” Grimm added.
The 90-page civil lawsuit claims the district allowed the abuse to continue for years despite repeated complaints, warnings, and disciplinary actions against the former employee. In fact, two complaints came from his own colleagues back in 2015 and 2016.
“As a male teacher, you do not touch female students, especially not in a sexual way,” said attorney Cass Casper. “The fact that this was allowed to go on for so long and was minimized repeatedly by the district is frankly outrageous.”
More complaints followed over the years, and it wasn’t until 2020 that District 308 conducted an investigation and placed the teacher on leave. He subsequently resigned.
“We are refusing to let this be forgotten,” said Fish. “You protected a reputation. We are protecting students. You avoided accountability. We are demanding courage.”
District 308 has declined to comment until it has reviewed the lawsuit.
While seeking accountability and cultural change within the district, the four women hope their bravery encourages other young victims to come forward.
Lake urged, “I need you to really hear me when I say if you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, then it is wrong, and it is not normal. There’s absolutely no grey area.”
Attorneys have noted similar complaints about the former teacher and coach circulating on social media and are encouraging any other victims to come forward.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/4-former-oswego-high-school-students-file-lawsuit-district-308-ex-teacher-coach-alleged-sex-abuse-harassment/18651141/