Suit: Special-Needs Student Sexually Assaulted
(CBS) -- A south suburban family is suing the Homewood Flossmoor School District, saying the school system is responsible for the sexual assault of their developmentally disabled daughter.
The young woman is 21 - with "severe cognitive disabilities," according to the lawsuit filed by her family.
And the suit claims that last summer she was sexually assaulted -- twice -- in a rest room, by a 19-year-old male student.
Although the special needs school in Chicago Heights has closed-circuit security cameras, no one was monitoring those cameras, the lawsuit alleges.
"Not only that -- there's a serious question whether the male student was properly placed in the school with kids who had severe cognitive deficits, like my client," says Eugene Hollander, attorney for the family of the young woman.
He says the 19-year-old is facing criminal charges.
The family's lawsuit asks for monetary damages.
The school district issued a statement Tuesday: "Homewood-Flossmoor Community High School is committed to providing students a safe and nurturing learning environment. Because this involves ongoing litigation and confidential student information, the district is unable to comment further at this time."