Teen sues Chicago Public Schools, claims no action was taken to stop sexual assaults by former guard
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A new lawsuit says no one reported the behavior of a former security guard at Dunbar Vocational Career Academy in Bronzeville—a former guard who is currently serving an eight-year prison sentence for sexual assault.
Attorneys for the teen who filed the suit discussed the allegations Thursday. The suit claims the school knew the security guard's behavior was out of the ordinary and failed to report it.
"I don't think he's going to get what he lost back, but he's hoping to help others," said Scott Lane, a partner at the law firm Lane Brown.
The plaintiff in the lawsuit filed against the Chicago Public Schools by Lane's firm, now 18 and identified only as John Doe, said he was 15 when he was sexually abused inside Dunbar Vocational Career Academy.
The teen told his attorneys he is not comfortable doing TV interviews in any capacity. Instead, he shared a statement:
"I transferred into Dunbar from a small school, and I did not know anyone. The security guard told me I needed protection and that he would act as my secret service agent at Dunbar. He threatened me and said if I told anyone about the sexual assault and abuse, he would go to jail and I would lose my protection. No child should ever have to sacrifice their innocence for safety, yet I lost mine and now I endure constant pain and anxiety in this world. It even caused me to self-harm myself while at Dunbar because I was so distraught. How many unauthorized removals from class are needed before the staff starts to question the security guard's behavior? The school let me down."
According to the lawsuit, it all started back in 2021 with the student and 29-year-old security guard Tywain Carter—who pleaded guilty on May 25, 2023, to assaulting the student and abusing another Dunbar Vocational Career Academy student at the same time. Carter admitted to knowingly committing an act of sexual penetration, in exchange for dismissing other charges.
According to the lawsuit, Carter would take the teen out of class consistently to "numerous locations within the school. The lawsuit details graphic sexual assault in meetings that would last "for more than 10 to 15 minutes at a time."
The suit claims school employees failed to report the removals from class. Six Dunbar staff members are named in the suit, alleging they knew Carter's conduct violated CPS—but ignored it.
"CPS staff and teachers were specifically trained to spot this very scenario, and yet they showed a blatant disregard for that training, that policy and procedure," said attorney Nick Kamenjarin of Lane Brown.
According to the attorneys, the teen and his family want to ensure more safeguards are in place so such assault cannot happen again.
"How about a commonsense policy and procedure, where if you are taking someone out of class, how about there's a log?" said Lane.
Attorneys also want a response from CPS.
"Having CPS acknowledge that this happened, and be apologetic," Lane said, "because to date, with respect to the family, they haven't done anything."
A spokesperson for CPS responded to CBS News Chicago's questions with this statement:
"The safety and well-being of our staff and students are top priorities and foundational conditions for our school communities. Chicago Public Schools (CPS) actively works to prevent sexual abuse and addresses all reports of abuse thoroughly. District leaders and staff understand the traumatic impact of sexual abuse and continuously strive to educate leaders, faculty, and students on the topic and the reporting process. The District does not comment on ongoing litigation."
