A former student says he and another student were sexually assaulted by a teacher last year in a CPS charter school in the University Village neighborhood.
The alleged abuse happened on Oct. 3, 2016, in teacher June Kendall’s classroom at Urban Prep Academies’ West Campus, 1326 W. 14th Place, according to a lawsuit filed against Kendall and Urban Prep Academies on Monday in Cook County Circuit Court.
June Kendall allegedly got the student alone with her in the classroom and had sex with him after having sex with another minor boy that same day, according to the suit.
Kendall, then 29 years old, was charged in October 2016 with two felony counts of criminal sexual assault for the two incidents, according to Chicago Police.
Kendall had a history of sexual molestation, including “sending racy photos and text about herself and how she undress, and herself wanting to have sex with [the student], and other boys attending Urban Prep Academies’ West, on school grounds and during school hours,” the suit alleges.
The lawsuit also alleges that Urban Prep Academies’ West never conducted a proper background check on Kendall before, during and after she started teaching at the school, and that the school knew or should have known about the alleged abuse. Other children had advised the school of the alleged molestations, and the school did nothing about it, the suit claims.
The school never advised the student or his parents of Kendall’s suspected history of sexual molestation, nor did it report child or suspected child abuse to DCFS or any other proper authorities before October or November of 2016, the suit alleges.
The eight-count suit seeks more than $350,000 in damages from defendants Kendall, Urban Prep Academies and the school’s West Campus. It accuses them all of willful and wanton misconduct, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligent infliction of emotional distress. Kendall is also accused of battery, and both Kendall and the school’s West Campus are both accused of negligence.
Additionally, the lawsuit seeks compensation for the medical, hospital, psychiatric, psychological and rehabilitations expenses incurred as a result of the alleged abuse.
A representative for Urban Prep Academies’ West Campus did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
