2 Former ETHS Students Sue, Alleging Sex Abuse By Drama Teacher

EVANSTON, IL — Two former Evanston Township High School students filed lawsuits accusing the school's former drama teacher of sexual abuse. In addition to the longtime teacher and supervisor of student performances, the suit, filed on behalf of two men under the names John Doe 1 and John Doe 2, names the school and the District 202 Board of Education as defendants.

It was an "open secret" that Bruce Siewerth abused his students, according to the suits filed Wednesday in in Cook County Circuit Court. The two men, now in their 50's, were students of Siewerth in the theater department in the late 1970s. According to the school, he was employed at ETHS from 1965 to 1999.

While they were his students, the two men allege he sexually abused them, describing him as a manipulative and controlling figure who used his power as director of theater productions to compel boys to engage in sexual conduct with him.

"I bet you've got a big one, let's see," Siewerth said to John Doe 1 as he cornering the boy in the theater shop and reached down his pants.

According to the suit, he "routinely emotionally manipulated students" in a way that "intimidated" students from revealing what was going on his is department. He allegedly "groped and/or fondled" the genitals and "made sexual contact" with both men. And it wasn't until this month, "when public allegations by other victims caused [him] to confront and remember his abuse" that the two John Does realized they had been suppressing memories of the abuse.

Siewerth allegedly would make students confess their most personal secrets in "acting journals," which he would read and criticize, sometimes mocking the students for what they would reveal. In both suits, he's accused of taking students to a "hardcore gay pornography theater" on a trip to New York City (a claim that is substantiated by a nearly identical allegation from another alumnus who is now a correspondent for public television.)

Siewerth, now retired in his late 70s, has not responded to multiple messages over the past several weeks. However, he did speak with the Evanston Review following Patch's report on the allegations of abuse.

"I'm not a sexual predator for goodness' sake. I'm a grandfather," he told the paper on Oct. 12. "These are people who don't like me because I didn't cast them. I don't know why it's coming up now."

It's coming up now because of a closed Facebook group consisting of alumni of ETHS's student-led annual performances, called YAMO and supervised for decades by Siewerth. As the scale of the accusations of sexually abusive and predatory behavior by movie mogul Harvey Weinstien widened, students in the group began to share stories of Siewerth's conduct, noticing the striking similarities in the stories of his abuse. Then, multiple prominent Hollywood professionals and ETHS alumni posted the accusations publicly, with one describing Siewerth as a "serial pedophile and abuser."

» Former ETHS Teacher Accused Of Sexual Abuse

In response to the flurry of accusations, the District 202 Superindendent Eric Witherspoon apologized for the allegations, acknowledging "the expressed pain that has surfaced among our alumni in light of recent allegations that a former teacher who retired from the district in the 1990s engaged in inappropriate sexual touching, groping, and harassment of former students while employed at the district."

The attorney handling the two civil suits filed this week said the school shares some of the blame for Siewerth's years of alleged abuse.

» District 'Deeply Sorry' About ETHS Teacher Sexual Abuse Allegations

"This should never have happened," attorney and Evanston resident Michael Mertz said. "Parents entrust schools like ETHS to protect students from the predatory actions of teachers who use their positions to groom, control and sexually abuse vulnerable students. ETHS failed in its duty to protect students from this man."

Siewerth spoke to WGN outside his Glenview home earlier this month and professed his innocence.

"It's out there and everyone knows its out there, and I'm married, I have children, I have grand children, this is like, 'Whoah, come on.' This is life-ruining, this kind of stuff," he said. Any memories of abuse were misunderstandings, he suggested. "I'm moving them around on stage and showing them what to do and stuff, but not groping. I mean, I'm not Trump, I don't understand it. I don't get what's going on or why it's going on now," he told the TV station, shortly after the first allegations were published.

Superintendent Witherspoon asked anyone with urged any alumni or family members of alumni who have information about the allegations to contact police. He said the school contacted state officials immediately this month after they were informed of the claims. The district, he said, is responding to all legal requirements and cooperating with police, but it "cannot legally provide specific information regarding any personnel matter to the public, including issues about former staff."

ETHS and District 202 officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuits.

The Evanston Police Department has asked anyone who may have information pertaining to possible criminal conduct to call 847-424-7703.

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