Lawsuit: Lake Bluff School District Did Nothing To Stop Sexual Abuse By Former Teacher
CHICAGO (CBS) - Lake Bluff Junior High is facing a lawsuit after at least five former students say they were sexually abused by a former teacher 30 years ago.
The former students are filing a lawsuit against the school district, claiming the district did nothing to stop the sexual abuse.
One former student, John Bollman is a married father and lives in Texas. Bollman says he was in 7th grade when he was sexually abused by his teacher, Charles Ritz.
"The first and ultimate goal in these situations should be protecting the victim. Anyone who's done anything with sexual abuse, they know and say two things: 'I believe you and I'm sorry.' Neither one of those things happened with Lake Bluff or the board of education," stated Bollman.
Bollman says when he saw a Facebook post calling Ritz "funny," it touched a nerve and he quickly responded with "No, Ritz is a pedophile."
Bollman and other alleged victims are gathering to announce a lawsuit against the school district.
The school district released a statement saying, in part, "While the Lake Bluff School District 65 remains saddened by the painful events of over 30 years ago as described by these individuals, to fulfil our duty as fiduciaries on behalf of the district's taxpayers, we will defend these claims in court and not in the public domain."