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Man sues Queen Bee District 16, says teacher sexually abused him 43 years ago

A former student at a Glendale Heights elementary school is suing Queen Bee School District 16, saying it should have prevented a chess coach from sexually abusing him 43 years ago.

The 53-year-old man, identified as John Doe in the lawsuit, alleges that the late Ray Satterlee abused him during the 1979-80 school year when Doe was a student in Satterlee's fifth-grade class and a member of the chess team at Americana Intermediate School.

Doe alleges there were "numerous" acts of inappropriate sexual touching by Satterlee. It says Satterlee targeted and isolated the boy, showed him pornography, discussed sex acts, gave him alcohol, raped him and threatened to hurt him and his family if he told anyone about it.

It happened in the classroom, in the line for recess and before and after chess club practice, according to the lawsuit. It said Satterlee would drive Doe home, alone, from practices and meets.

Doe said it caused him social, emotional and psychological problems, including anger, rage, embarrassment and anti-social behaviors. He "disassociated" from the events, the lawsuit said, until August 2020.

It was then he saw a television commercial by the Boy Scouts of America notifying people about sexual assaults and abuse done by leaders and realized his issues were connected to the alleged abuse by Satterlee, the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit claims leaders of the district knew or should have known of the abuse. It says they failed to supervise Satterlee, should have suspended or fired him and that they should have reported the matter to authorities.

On Thursday, Queen Bee Superintendent Joseph Williams said he could not comment on the lawsuit because the district has not yet been served, and he hasn't seen it. The suit seeks unspecified compensation from the district.

The lawsuit claims the district hired Satterlee without performing a criminal-background check, checking his references or verifying his previous employment.

According to Satterlee's 2005 obituary, he taught in the district for nearly 30 years, retiring around 1995. He taught at Americana and Pheasant Ridge schools.

He then worked as a substitute teacher and continued to coach the chess team.

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