District 95 in Suburban Lake Zurich has reportedly settled one of two lawsuits that allege the school board ignored complaints that an award-winning Lake Zurich High School teacher was engaging in inappropriate sexual conduct with teenage boys. In 2010, former English and Drama teacher Ronald D. Culver was criminally charged with molesting two of his students. He later entered into a plea agreement and served about half of a two-year prison sentence. 54-year-old Culver is reportedly now on parole and required to register as a sex offender.
According to a lawsuit filed against Culver and the Lake Zurich School District, Superintendent, and Principal, parents of one of the boys alerted school officials to the sexual abuse about eight months before Culver was arrested. The case also alleges that administrators committed negligence by failing to report complaints about Culver to authorities and failing to prevent the alleged sexual abuse. Despite the settlement, Lake Zurich School District officials have purportedly denied mishandling the abuse allegations. A similar case is reportedly pending against the district and Culver in Lake County Circuit Court.
Thankfully, the boys involved in this situation felt comfortable enough to report their abuse. Oftentimes, children who were sexually abused by a trusted adult wait to come forward as a result of fear or embarrassment. In Illinois, the statute of limitations for sexual abuse of a child is longer than for other types of personal injury cases. Since 2011, those who were sexually abused as a child have until their 38th birthday to file a lawsuit against their abuser, school, church, or other organization that failed to protect them. Additionally, a victim of childhood sexual assault who has repressed their memories of the abuse has 20 years from the date he or she realized the abuse occurred during which to file a lawsuit. Minors who were sexually assaulted in Illinois prior to 2011 may face a reduced statute of limitations. If you were sexually abused as a child, you are advised to contact a quality personal injury attorney to discuss your case.
If your child was sexually assaulted by a teacher or other trusted adult in Chicago, please call Abels & Annes, P.C. at (312) 924-7575. At Abels & Annes, P.C., our caring Chicago sexual abuse and assault lawyers are available 24 hours per day, seven days per week to help you file your personal injury claim. To speak with a capable personal injury attorney today, you should contact Abels & Annes, P.C. through the law firm’s website.
Note: Abels & Annes, P.C. does not represent the victims in the above mentioned cases. That being said, we work on sex abuse cases on an ongoing basis. We currently have several sexual abuse lawsuits pending against the Chicago Archdiocese in the Circuit Court of Cook County.
More Blogs:
Heart Disease Patients in Chicago, Nationwide May be Hurt by Too Many Prescriptions, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, March 26, 2013
Drivers More Likely to be Distracted by Cell Phones in Chicago and Throughout U.S., Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, March 24, 2013
Additional Resources:
Dist. 95 settles teacher molestation suit, by Bob Susnjara, Daily Herald