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Lawsuit says Dist. 204 failed to protect student from sexual assaults

Parents of a female student in Indian Prairie Unit District 204 have filed a federal lawsuit against the district and its bus company alleging they allowed a male middle school student to touch the girl inappropriately.

The suit is seeking more than $3 million for the alleged inappropriate behavior that they say occurred in 2015 while their daughter was a student at Gregory Middle School in Naperville.

District spokeswoman Janet Buglio said she "can't provide comment on pending lawsuits."

Attorney Steven Glink, who represents the family of the girl, did not return calls Thursday or Friday. Stephanie Weiner, the lawyer representing First Student and the bus driver named in the suit, also did not return calls.

According to the suit, the girl was fondled by the boy on May 18, 2015, while being driven to an after-school activity. When she "told him repeatedly to stop," the boy allegedly spat on the girl and used his backpack to hit her in the head several times.

Just two months earlier, according to an email attached to the lawsuit, the girl's mother contacted district officials and said her daughter was complaining about the boy touching her private areas.

"This is an inappropriate behavior and it has to stop," the mother wrote.

The lawsuit accuses the district of gender discrimination for failing to act on the mother's emailed concern and 12 other sexual harassment reports.

In addition to seeking $3 million from the district and bus company, the family is asking for $20,000 from the parents of the boy for the "emotional distress" his actions caused.

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