Sexual assault of student by staff at Milwaukee school; lawsuit filed

MILWAUKEE – An employee of St. Peter-Immanuel Lutheran School was convicted of sexual assault in 2016.

Years later, a lawsuit for $20 million has now been filed.

The former employee was convicted of having sex with a teenager. Now she hopes to inspire other victims of sexual abuse to speak out.

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24-year-old Josiah Strong still can’t put it into words. For the first time, he is speaking publicly about the sexual abuse he suffered years ago.

“I wouldn’t wish this experience on anyone,” he said. “For the past eight years, I’ve been trying to get my voice back.”

On Tuesday, July 2, Strong and his attorney announced the $20 million lawsuit.

Josiah Strong (Source: WCP Consulting & Communications)

They are suing St. Peter-Immanuel Lutheran School, its former athletic director Elizabeth Dillet, and the school’s parent network, Lutheran Urban Mission Initiative, Inc. (LUMIN Schools).

Background of the case

In 2016, Dillet was convicted of sexual abuse of a child by a person who works or volunteers with children. Prosecutors say Dillet, who was 31 at the time, had sex with Strong when he was 14.

Dillett had pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual abuse of a child by a person working or volunteering with children. Six other counts were dropped.

“We filed a Title IX lawsuit against the school because we believe it failed to act when it had the opportunity to address these issues,” said attorney B’Ivory LaMarr.

The lawsuit accuses the school administration of several failures, including failing to respond after a mother reported inappropriate behavior between Dillet and Strong.

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“The school has done nothing despite this notification,” LaMarr said. “He has had to go through all this counseling just to get to the point where he can talk about this issue.”

St. Peter-Immanuel Lutheran is part of LUMIN, but LUMIN told FOX6 News that the school did not become part of the network until 2020, years after the sexual assault.

“We are in a school that is based on a religious background,” said Strong’s mother, Sara Strong. “No one has contacted me except the principal. No one from the administration, not even the pastor.”

Strong’s lawyer said the lawsuit is being brought now because it took Strong years to process what happened and talk openly about it.

“I wouldn’t wish that experience on anyone,” Strong said.