3 more lawsuits about former substitute teacher charged with assault, abuse
Three more students who have accused a former Dundee District 300 substitute teacher of sexual assault have sued the district, a principal and a local boys and girls club, arguing officials did not remove Carlos A. Bedoya despite abuse in school facilities, on a soccer field and in his vehicle.
Bedoya, 63, of Lake in the Hills, was arrested and charged in July 2017 with raping and molesting four elementary students in his role as a substitute kindergarten teacher at Golfview Elementary School in Carpentersville in 2016 and 2017. Since his arrest, Kane County prosecutors have charged him with sexual assault and abuse of 10 students.
In the three newest lawsuits filed last week, victims identified in documents as John Doe argue Bedoya's "unwanted, deviant sexual contact" was widespread, occurring in his school office, school library and boys bathrooms, and on soccer fields through his role as a coach through the Dundee Township Boys and Girls Club. The litigation argues Bedoya showed at least one victim pictures of male genitalia on his cellphone while he drove to and from club activities.
The lawsuits, filed by attorney Stephanie White, also argue Bedoya's actions were reported between April 2017 and May 2017 to District 300 officials and Golfview Principal Lindsay Sharp, but no action was taken.
"Despite knowledge of Bedoya's inappropriate behavior towards children, like the minor plaintiff, District 300, Sharp and the club failed to remove Bedoya's unsupervised access to children," the suits argue.
These three cases are due in court Dec. 18.
A message left with the Dundee Boys and Girls Club was not immediately returned.
They bring to five the number lawsuits filed in the case.
Two victims, their identities protected in court documents, sued the district and Sharp this summer, arguing officials were negligent in hiring an unqualified Bedoya and allowed a dangerous man unfettered, isolated access to children by transferring to other locations students who complained about him.
Those two lawsuits have been consolidated into one case, and the district is fighting to have it dismissed, contending the actions of the district and Sharp were not "willful and wanton" as required for the suit to move forward. A hearing is slated for Dec. 13.
District 300 spokesman Anthony McGinn issued a statement Friday saying the district was aware of the lawsuits and that it followed all its hiring procedures with Bedoya.
"When District 300 became aware of the allegations involving Mr. Bedoya, the district suspended access to all district systems and immediately barred him from having any contact with our students, our staff, and our schools," read part of the statement. "The safety of our students has always been and will continue to be District 300's highest priority. We take every allegation of misconduct seriously and we will continue adhering to stringent hiring practices to ensure the well-being of all our students."
Bedoya is held at the Kane County jail on $4.85 million bail, meaning he must post $485,000 if he is to be released while the charges are pending.
If convicted, he faces a punishment of life in prison. Bedoya is next due in court Oct. 30.