3rd Student Sues Claiming Sex Abuse By ETHS Drama Teacher

EVANSTON, IL — A third civil lawsuit accusing Evanston Township High School's longtime drama teacher of sexually abusing students in the theater department was filed in Cook County Circuit Court Tuesday. Like two previous suits naming Bruce Siewerth as a defendant, it also claims ETHS, its board and administrators were negligent for letting the abuse continue, even though it was allegedly an open secret. And the complaints are similar – each lawsuit says the influential figure in the school's theater department would use his position of power to get his hands down the pants of boys under his supervision.

The allegations against Siewerth, now 77, a speech arts teacher who also was the designer of the school's Upstairs Theater, the director of its YAMO student-run performance showcase and head of theater services, first emerged on social media in the wake of revelations on the predatory pattern of abuse by Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.

Several former students publicly accused him of being a serial abuser after YAMO alumni started sharing their experiences, with many recounting memories of abuse in a private Facebook group ahead of a 60th anniversary tribute.

When school administrators learned of the claims and saw Siewerth had a ticket to attend the event, the school's director of safety sent him a letter banning him from school property and any school related events or activities. The Oct. 12 warning notified him he would be charged with criminal trespassing if he were to return to school grounds.

In the suit filed this week, Daniel Romain, an ETHS student between 1981 and 1985, alleges that Siewerth reached down his tights during a production of Hamlet when he was a freshman. According to the Chicago Tribune, which was first to report the third lawsuit, Romain said Siewerth claimed he was "pointing the wrong way," and put his hands on the student's genitalia "and 're-arranged' him."

According to the previous two lawsuits, filed Oct. 25 on behalf of students identified as John Doe 1 and John Doe 2 who graduated in 1979 and 1980, Siewerth groped and fondled boys' genitalia, put his hands down their pants, made them dress and undress in front of him, took them to pornographic films while on theater trips and emotionally manipulated them into being afraid to report the abuse.

Siewerth, a Glenview resident, worked for the district for 34 years and was honored upon his retirement as a "gifted mentor to countless aspiring theatrical professionals—and to the many who have 'made it'" and as a dedicated teacher "who shares his profound love of the theatre arts with his students and colleagues in so many ways."

All three of the suits say Siewerth was allowed to continue to have unrestricted access to students, including outside of school at dinners where he would serve alcohol, even though the school should have known that his behavior was inappropriate.

According to the suits, ETHS neglected to properly look into complaints about Siewerth because, under his direction, many graduates from his tutelage went on to successful careers in the entertainment industry. In additional to the three men that have so far filed civil suits accusing him of sexual battery, some of those successful alumni have now publicly come forward with accounts of abuse and misconduct by Sieworth.

He has not been charged with a crime but Evanston police have opened an investigation into whether any offense may have taken place. According to Cmdr. Joseph Dugan, police have spoken to more than a dozen alleged victims and received close to 100 phone calls with information about the case.

Oct. 18, District 202 Superintendent Eric Witherspoon apologized "for the pain certain individuals may be experiencing as a result of these allegations, and recognize how these allegations may impact ETHS graduates, their classmates, loved ones, current students, parents and staff in different ways."

At least one former student claimed district administrators had been told of Siewerth's inappropriate conduct, and one of the lawyers for the three accusers who have filed suit so far argued the school should be held responsible.

"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," Evanston resident and attorney Michael Mertz said when the John Doe suits were filed. "ETHS failed in its duty to protect students from this man."

Each suit asks for more than $50,000 in damages. Siewerth has not responded to repeated requests for comment on any of them, although he initially denied the allegations in an interview with the Evanston Review after they were first posted on social media.

"I'm not a sexual predator for goodness sake. I'm a grandfather," Siewerth said 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."

Read more:

• Former ETHS Teacher Accused Of Sexual Abuse
• District 'Deeply Sorry' About ETHS Teacher Sexual Abuse Allegations
• 2 Former ETHS Students Sue, Alleging Sex Abuse By Drama Teacher

_{Top photo: Evanston Township High School | Google Street View}