Mundelein District 75 named in lawsuit involving child kissed by janitor

The Mundelein Elementary District 75 school board has been named in a federal lawsuit by a woman, who as a child, was kissed by a janitor at Mechanics Grove Elementary School a decade ago.

According to the lawsuit filed Oct. 20, the District 75 school board was negligent and careless by not ensuring only janitorial contractors who had passed background checks were sent into district schools. The suit also said the school board was negligent for not making sure a criminal history check was completed on the employee, Kendrick Ingram, before he was allowed to work near students.

The victim is asking for more than $75,000 in damages for distress and mental anguish.

The lawsuit also seeks more than $75,000 in damages from janitorial contractor True Blue Inc., and its subsidiaries, Labor Ready Inc. and Labor Ready Midwest Inc. The lawsuit said the contractors should have conducted background checks on janitors before sending them to work in Mundelein schools.

District 75 Superintendent Andrew Henrikson said he could not comment on pending litigation. Henrikson was not superintendent of the district at the time of the attack.

Ingram, now 48, was charged with aggravated criminal sexual abuse and aggravated battery for kissing two girls - aged 6 and 9 - in the school cafeteria and the library. The victim in the most recent civil complaint was the 9-year-old, the lawsuit claims.

An unidentified boy witnessed Ingram kiss the girls in 2006 and told his parents. The parents contacted school officials, who contacted police, authorities said.

Ingram pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated battery in 2007, was sentenced to 6 months in the Lake County jail and 24 months of probation, court records show.

Court records also show Ingram was charged with two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a family member in 2003, before working at Mechanics Grove. Those charges were dropped by prosecutors just before trial in May 2004.

Ingram was also charged in 2007 and sentenced to prison in 2008 after pleading guilty to two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault for other attacks on children. He is due to be released in 2037.