School board meeting following allegations of sexual assault and abuse by a longtime Bloom Trail High School teacher

STEGER, Ill. – A school board meeting in Steger drew dozens of people Monday night after a lawsuit was filed against an employee alleging sexual misconduct.

About two weeks ago there was a lawsuit against one of the teachers at Bloom Trail High School.

It accuses a person who has worked at the school for at least two decades of sexual coercion and abuse.

The lawsuit was filed by a “Jane Doe” who claims that in 2000, when she was a 16-year-old sophomore at Bloom Trail, a teacher launched a campaign to groom her. She claims this continued throughout her high school career.

A small group of Bloom Trail alumni gathered outside their old high school Monday night, buzzing with excitement about the lawsuit.

During the meeting, some speakers made their own allegations, such as Avery Fluharty, who graduated last year.

“I’ve been called Babe Princess, pet names he shouldn’t give to teenage girls,” Fluharty said.

Star Kaminski said she noticed these names being used in a Zoom class several years ago and wrote to the principal about it.

“She just said, ‘Thank you for bringing this to our attention and we’ll look into it.’ That was all,” Kaminski said.

Kaminski said she wants action taken.

“I want him fired and held accountable for his actions against these students,” Kaminski said.

Since the lawsuit was filed, the teacher has been placed on leave and an investigation is ongoing by authorities and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, but no criminal charges have been filed.

On Monday, WGN-TV spoke with one of the attorneys involved, who said he also expects to file additional civil lawsuits.

“We have fielded calls, emails and Facebook posts from dozens and dozens of people who have concerns. To date, we have not filed any additional lawsuits, but we expect there will be more as these courageous victims are willing to undergo the legal process,” said Jordan Powell, a founding partner of Passen & Powell.

The school board declined to speak to WGN-TV but did provide a statement.

“We carry out thorough investigations to ensure our students are safe and protected from harm and that any misconduct is addressed. “The learning environment should be a home away from home for every young person, where they do not have to worry about people with evil intentions causing them harm,” the statement reads in part.

The board listened Monday evening to anyone who wanted to speak, but did not answer any questions from the public.