Former Bloom Trail High School teacher charged in Cook County after woman details sexual assault in lawsuit
STEGER, Ill. - A former coach and teacher at Bloom Trail High School in suburban Steger was officially charged this week after a woman filed a civil lawsuit against him and the school in May.
Ronald Giglio, of Cedar Lake, Ind., has been charged in Cook County with criminal sexual assault while in a position of trust. The charge states that the assault occurred in August 2001 at Bloom Trail High School.
Last month, Giglio was also charged in Indiana with two counts of child seduction. Those charges were unrelated to the charges filed in Cook County, and were not related to the civil lawsuit.
In court on Friday, Giglio was ordered to be released on electronic monitoring and must stay at his father's residence in suburban Homewood. Giglio must also have no contact with the victim or any person under the age of 18, besides his biological child.
The court also granted an Order of Protection to the victim.
Giglio is due back in court in Markham on July 31.
The recent charge out of Cook County comes nearly two months after a woman, identified as 'Jane Doe,' outlined alleged abuse in a civil lawsuit against Bloom Trail High School, the school district and Giglio, who has since been placed on administrative leave.
Jane Doe said she did not report the misconduct at the time because Giglio warned her he could lose his job. However, she alleged that school leaders and other teachers were aware of the misconduct when she was a student.
The civil lawsuit alleged that Giglio began to groom the plaintiff when she was a sophomore and by the time she was a junior, they were having a sexual relationship, meeting on and off school grounds.
Following the lawsuit's filing, Jane Doe's attorney reported that other women have come forward, claiming they had similar experiences with this teacher and softball coach.
Just last year, Lia Husack was a freshman in Giglio’s social studies class.
"He would take me to his closet to give me popsicles to reward me for being a good student. He would touch my legs. He would rub my back as he walked past me and as I was sitting there doing my work. He would cause arguments if I wouldn't go in his closet with him and send me down to the dean’s office," said Husack. "I went straight to the principal's office. She did nothing about it."
Both she and her mom, Jenafer Sailsbery, tried to tell on him.
"It's a year later and nothing has been done, and they're trying to make it okay that the lawsuit is from two decades ago when it's still happening. How is that okay?" said Sailsbery.
Giglio is scheduled to appear at the Markham Courthouse on Friday.
A spokesperson for Bloom Trail High School District 206 confirmed with FOX 32 that Giglio's employment at the high school was terminated July 8.