4 former Oswego HS students sue district, ex-teacher after alleged sex abuse, harassment

OSWEGO, Ill. (WLS) -- Four former Oswego High School students blame the school district for ignoring their sexual harassment and sexual abuse complaints against a former teacher and coach.

On Wednesday, the women filed a lawsuit and spoke out at a downtown Chicago law firm.

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For the four women, their high school years at Oswego High School were terrifying. Kala Sundstrom, Anne Marie Fish, Natalie Grimm and Jillian Lake say they endured a pattern of grooming, sexual harassment and abuse from a former teacher and coach.

Because he's not been charged with a crime, ABC7 Chicago is not naming him .

"Going to school every day was terrifying, not only for the sheer fact the teacher being at the school finding out, but the fact that I had come forward in the first place," Lake said.

Lake and the others said they feared they would be ostracized in their small tight-knit community if anyone found out they reported the abuse to Oswego Community Unit School District 308.

"I was terrified to go home every day. So we ended up moving out of Oswego. I also been diagnosed with anxiety and depression due to this," Grimm said.

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Now in their 20s, the women refuse to live in fear. They have filed a 90-page civil lawsuit against the school district and the former coach and teacher. The suit alleges the district allowed the abuse to continue for years, despite repeated complaints, warnings and discipline against the former employee. Two of the complaints against the male employee came from his own colleagues in 2015 and 2016.

"As a male teacher, you do not touch female students, particularly, especially not in a sexual way. I mean, the fact that this was allowed to go on this long and was minimized repeatedly by the district, frankly, it's outrageous," lawyer Cass Casper said.

Casper says more complaints followed. He says it wasn't until 2020 when District 308 finally conducted an investigation that the teacher and coach was placed on leave and resigned.

"We are refusing to let it be forgotten. You protected a reputation. We are protecting students. You avoided accountability. We are demanding courage," Fish said.

District 308 would not comment until it reviewed the lawsuit.

While they are asking for accountability and a change of culture within the school district, the four women are speaking out to let other young victims know they are not alone."

"I need you to really hear me when I say that if you feel uncomfortable or unsafe, then it is wrong and it is not normal. And there's absolutely no grey area," Lake said.

Attorneys say they have seen similar complaints about the former teacher and coach on social media. They are encouraging victims to come forward by calling 312-506-1235.