Cheer Coach Stands By Sex Harassment Charges Against Stagg Athletic Director: Attorney

ATTORNEY TOM SKALLAS' STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF COACH BRIDGET GUZIOR: From 2013 until this year, Coach Bridget Guzior passionately served as the head cheerleading coach at Amos Alonzo Stagg High School. When she accepted the position, she vowed her squad would make it to the IHSA state competition, and in 2015 she made good on her word with her student-athletes, proudly standing on the medal podium with the other top two finishers in the state.

More importantly, Coach Guzior has made a lasting impact on her student-athletes. She expected excellence from them, and they learned that, with hard work, they could accomplish their dreams.

Coach Guzior now faces another challenge, and this time it is from certain administrators and board members of District 230. Coach Guzior stands by her statements made in her Employment Complainant Information Sheet submitted to the Illinois Department of Human Rights. She hopes that her courage in stepping forward will serve as another positive example and that justice will prevail.

>>> Cheerleading Coach Files Sexual Harassment Complaint Against Stagg Athletic Director

Some recent news articles have quoted text messages attributed to Coach Guzior that have been asserted by District 230 as the reason for her dismissal. The District has failed to include the fact that the text messages were part of a group text that included the student’s parent the entire time. That parent immediately responded to the text message with:

“we appreciate all you have done Bridget. You are an amazing coach – I don’t have the words to express my gratitude for everything you have done to inspire leadership in my son. We love you!”

District 230 also omits the fact that the same parent has at least twice requested a meeting with district officials to address this matter in support of Ms. Guzior, only to be ignored.

Certain people have questioned and commented on the timing of Coach Guzior’s complaint submitted over 6 weeks ago. Any attempt to discredit the statements made in her complaint are simply age-old victim-blaming that the targets of harassment know all too well. As we have all learned from the news coverage over the last few weeks, the least common response to harassment is to take some formal action—either to report the harassment internally or file a formal legal complaint. Roughly three out of four individuals who experienced harassment never even talked to a supervisor, manager, or union representative about the harassing conduct. Employees who experience harassment fail to report the harassing behavior or to file a complaint because they fear disbelief of their claim, inaction on their claim, blame, or social or professional retaliation.

Employer investigations of actionable sexual harassment frequently focus on the issue of employer liability for such harassment. The focus on liability means these investigations fail to seek the truth and instead attack the victim because he or she failed to bring the harassment to the employer's attention, or delayed, or committed some other blameworthy act in doing so.

Coach Guzior has suffered emotionally and physically over the last 6 weeks, more recently being hospitalized for health issues caused by this ordeal. We respectfully ask that her privacy be respected so that she can fully heal from her health issues.

Finally, Coach Guzior is eternally grateful to the many parents, students, and faculty that have taken the time to write letters, make public comments, and even peacefully protest the actions taken by District 230. She is inspired by this amazing outpour of support and affection.

Tom Skallas
Counsel for Coach Bridget Guzior

The Dist. 230 Board of Education is expected to deliberate Guzior's possible dismissal from Stagg High School at the Oct. 26 board meeting. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. at Andrew High School, 9001 W 171st St., Tinley Park.