Former Westchester teacher charged with sexual abuse of student; district faces lawsuit
WESTCHESTER, Ill. - The Westchester School District is facing a civil lawsuit following allegations against a former teacher and coach accused of sexually abusing a student in the late 1990s.
Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard filed the lawsuit, claiming that the abuse occurred on school grounds and at school events, starting when the girl was 11 years old.
Dawn Chester, who has also gone by the names Dawn Lach and Dawn Anderson, was identified in documents filed in Cook County Circuit Court as the defendant. She was employed at Westchester Middle School from 1998 to 2000, first as the science teacher and then as the volleyball coach of the plaintiff. During her employment, Chester was in her late 20s.
The allegations included inappropriate touching during a school camp trip to Wisconsin and continued sexual abuse on school property. Chester allegedly wrote letters to the plaintiff that complimented their appearance and encouraged secret meetings. Attorneys claimed these notes suggested Chester's efforts to conceal the alleged abuses.
Specific letters are cited in the lawsuit, revealing the desire for secrecy. Chester also encouraged the plaintiff to lie to avoid suspicion and a school-sanctioned sleepover is listed as one of the occasions during which sexual abuse occurred, attorneys claimed.
Despite the superintendent being alerted to an incident during the sleepover by students and a parent, the complaint alleges that the school district failed to respond appropriately. No report to law enforcement or the Department of Children and Family Services was made after the superintendent was notified.
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The situation came to light after the plaintiff's mother discovered the letters in mid-2000 and reported them, subsequently prompting a recommended resignation from Chester, which was accepted in August of that year.
The case resurfaced years later when the plaintiff learned through social media in June that Chester remained in teaching at Northlake Middle School. Subsequent reports to school authorities and law enforcement triggered an investigation, resulting in Chester, 54, being charged with one felony count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a victim under 18 by someone in a position of trust.
David J. Rashid, representing the plaintiff, expressed the firm's intention to hold the Westchester School District liable for violations of trust and negligence.
He said the plaintiff, now 37, has suffered lasting trauma from the abuse and is taking legal action not only for personal justice but to prevent further similar incidents.
"To school boards, to administrators, to those in position of authority. The message is that our children are our most prized possession, and we will stop at nothing to hold you accountable if you don't do the job of keeping them safe and protecting them," Rashid said during a Tuesday news conference.