LTHS Settlement May Be Tied To April Attack

LA GRANGE, IL – Lyons Township High School decided on Thursday that it would not release the complaint that led to a $140,000 settlement.

It won't even divulge the nature of the claim.

But it may be related to an attack in a South Campus hallway on April 27. A 16-year-old girl pummeled a 14-year-old girl, which was documented on video. The 16-year-old and a 14-year-old boy, who apparently filmed and encouraged the attack, were charged.

Shortly after the school board approved the settlement, it released a statement on its website titled, "Recommendations and Plan for Response following April Incident."

After the attack, the school assigned its law firm, Franczek, to investigate the incident and the school's response. The firm provided a full report during a closed board meeting in early July, the statement said.

According to the statement, the law firm said the school should improve its identification and referral of students at risk of engaging in behaviors that are harmful to the school community.

It also said the school needed to do a better job at investigating and documenting student misconduct and student monitoring and supervision.

On Monday, the school board approved the settlement with a student's family, with board member Michael Thomas dissenting.

Afterward, Patch obtained the agreement through a public records request. The document indicated the family was represented by Andrew Stroth of the Chicago-based Action Injury Law Group, which specializes in civil rights and police brutality cases.

Patch filed a follow-up request for the claim that led to the settlement. The school declined to release it, citing students' privacy rights under state law.

In a letter, the school's public records officer, Marilyn Zydlo, said redacting all the potentially identifying information would render the record meaningless. The school, she said, was not required to undertake the effort.

"Further, the incident and the involved individuals are well known in the community, rendering any redaction meaningless as the individual students could be identified," Zydlo said. "In addition, release of the record would be an unwarranted invasion of privacy to the students named in the record..."

Asked about the school's decision, Superintendent Brian Waterman said he understood and respected the need for transparency.

"(W)e will continue to be transparent in issues that don't involve individual students and their right to privacy," he said in an email. "To that end, this settlement is regarding a student matter, and the confidentiality provisions within the Illinois School Student Records Act prohibit the release of further information."

Under the settlement's terms, the family is to receive a payment of $125,000. The family is also set to get $15,000 for a post-high school educational fund. The family can also get up to $18,000 for reimbursable costs.

Action Injury Law Group says on its website, "Action is dedicated to bringing justice to victims of police brutality in pursuit of nationwide reform."

The firm includes photos of Stroth, its managing partner, with Gov. J.B. Pritzker, civil rights leader Jesse Jackson and a younger Barack Obama.