A new lawsuit alleging that Chicago Public Schools failed to do enough to protect students from a teacher who has been charged with predatory criminal sexual assault has been filed in federal court.
The civil rights lawsuit filed in federal court alleges that a letter sent home to parents was not enough information or warning to protect students from interacting with teacher Andrew Castro at Federico Garcia Lorca School.
Castro was arrested by Chicago police in June and was charged with predatory criminal sexual assault, while also facing charges for exposing himself to children.
Attorneys said Castro groomed his victims, who were all under the age of 13, for over five years while working at the school.
“We shouldn’t be counting the ways a school system ignored the signs and abuse and enabled a predator to groom 10-, 11- and 12-year-old boys,” said attorney Bob Fioretti.
While CPS acknowledged that they do not comment on litigation, the district issued the following statement:
“Chicago Public Schools, prioritizes the safety and well-being of our students. We take seriously our responsibility to ensure all employees act in the best interest of our students," the statement said.
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Family attorneys are concerned that the Lorca case may not be an isolated situation. They are setting up a hotline for parents to call if they have concerns that their schools may be affected.
“If there are other families, we welcome them to come forward and speak with us,” said attorney Larry Disparti. Parents can also contact the office of student protections at CPS, where an investigation by the Office of the Inspector General is underway.
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