Image credit: Dunbar Vocational High School. (2024, October 23). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunbar_Vocational_High_School
A teenager is suing Chicago Public Schools, alleging that no action was taken to prevent assaults by a former security guard. The lawsuit claims that no one reported the guard’s behavior at Dunbar Vocational Career Academy in Bronzeville, though the guard is now serving an eight-year prison sentence for assault, CBS News‘ Tara Molina reported yesterday.
The teen’s attorneys discussed the allegations, stating that the school was aware of the guard’s abnormal behavior but failed to address it. An attorney representing the plaintiff, remarked that the teen is unlikely to recover what was lost but hopes to help others by coming forward.
The plaintiff, identified as John Doe, is now 18 and stated he was 15 when the abuse occurred within Dunbar Vocational Career Academy. The teen expressed discomfort with television interviews and instead provided a statement describing how he transferred to Dunbar from a small school, knowing no one. He shared that the security guard offered protection, saying he would act as a personal bodyguard at Dunbar. The guard allegedly threatened him, warning that disclosing the abuse would result in his own imprisonment and a loss of protection. The teen described the lasting impact of the experience, recounting self-harm and ongoing pain and anxiety. He questioned how many times unauthorized removals from class would need to happen before staff began to scrutinize the guard’s actions, feeling deeply let down by the school.
The lawsuit details that the incidents began in 2021 and involved 29-year-old security guard Tywain Carter, who later pleaded guilty to assaulting the plaintiff and another student at Dunbar. Carter admitted to knowingly committing assault, resulting in a plea deal that dismissed additional charges.
According to the lawsuit, Carter repeatedly removed the teen from class, taking him to various locations within the school for encounters that would last over 10 minutes. School employees allegedly failed to report these consistent class removals, and the lawsuit names six Dunbar staff members who purportedly ignored Carter’s violations of CPS guidelines.
The plaintiff’s attorney stated that CPS staff had been specifically trained to recognize and prevent scenarios like this but disregarded the training and procedures in place. The teen and his family are advocating for stronger safeguards to prevent similar incidents in the future, with the attorney suggesting a policy requiring a log for any class removal.
The attorneys also seek an acknowledgment from CPS, noting that to date, CPS has not issued any formal response to the family. A CPS spokesperson responded to inquiries with a statement affirming the district’s commitment to the safety and well-being of staff and students, noting that the district actively works to prevent abuse and addresses all reports thoroughly. CPS refrains from commenting on ongoing litigation.