Suburban Chicago teacher charged with sexual assault of student

CHICAGO (CBS) — A south suburban high school teacher was accused of sexually abusing a student more than two decades ago.

According to a lawsuit, the teacher at Bloom Trail High School in Steger began abusing the student in 2000. The victim was 16 years old at the time.

She claimed she was groomed by her teacher during her second year of college and the abuse continued until she graduated in 2003.

The victim, identified in the lawsuit as “Jane Doe,” said the teacher communicated with her via email and AOL Messenger during her sophomore year. He also “gratuitously touched her buttocks or waist” when they played soccer together in the school gym, and in one case he kissed her on the mouth, the lawsuit says.

She also described in detail the alleged abuse during the spring semester of 2002 that occurred almost daily in his classroom.

The plaintiff said there were also several teachers, staff and administrators at the high school “who knew or should have known of an inappropriate relationship between her and the teacher.”

In a letter to parents, the school said the employee had been placed on leave.