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Oswego village president ‘deeply disturbed’ by allegations in lawsuit against District 308 · Kendall County News - Shaw Local

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  Speaker 1: Oswego Village president deeply disturbed by allegations in lawsuit against
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  Speaker 1: District three oh eight Written by Eric Schlkopp. This article
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  Speaker 1: is being read by an automated voice brought to you
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  Speaker 1: by Everlett. Oswego Village President Ryan Kaufman said he is
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  Speaker 1: deeply disturbed by the allegations in a lawsuit filed by
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  Speaker 1: four former Oswego High School students alleging years of grooming,
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  Speaker 1: sexual harassment, and sexual misconduct by a former Oswego School
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  Speaker 1: District three to eight teacher and coach. A named in
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  Speaker 1: the lawsuit is Sean Staffeld and the District three o
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  Speaker 1: eight school board. The lawsuit was filed February twenty fifth
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  Speaker 1: in Kendall County Circuit Court. To the young women who
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  Speaker 1: have come forward, your courage is powerful, Kaufman said in
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  Speaker 1: a post on his Facebook page. Speaking out about abuse
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  Speaker 1: requires extraordinary strength. I stand firmly and unequivocally in support
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  Speaker 1: of you. Our community must always side with those who
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  Speaker 1: have the courage to speak up. It is important that
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  Speaker 1: we hold individuals and positions of authority to the highest
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  Speaker 1: possible standard, and when that trust is violated, there must
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  Speaker 1: be accountability. Every person deserves to feel protected, heard, and respected.
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  Speaker 1: Oswego School District three to eight Superintendent and all At
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  Speaker 1: Kelgati said the district is committed to protecting the health
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  Speaker 1: and safety of students. The district stands firmly and unequivocally
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  Speaker 1: with any victims of inappropriate or offensive conduct, Kelgatti said
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  Speaker 1: in a letter to District three to eight families following
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  Speaker 1: a Wednesday, February twenty fifth press conference about the lawsuit.
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  Speaker 1: Let us be clear the district does not and will
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  Speaker 1: never condone behavior that threatens the safe and supportive environment
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  Speaker 1: we aim to create in every school building. The ninety
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  Speaker 1: page lawsuit, which seeks damages of more than fifty thousand dollars,
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  Speaker 1: was filed by Chicago based This Party law group on
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  Speaker 1: behalf of the former students Staffold could not be reached
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  Speaker 1: for comment. All reports of misconduct are taken seriously and
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  Speaker 1: are investigated in accordance with the Illinois School Code and
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  Speaker 1: board policy, Kelgutti said in the letter. The district will
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  Speaker 1: always partner with appropriate third party agencies such as dcfs,
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  Speaker 1: as well as law enforcement when concerns are raised. Additionally,
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  Speaker 1: the district is committed to taking action within the scope
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  Speaker 1: of our authority. He said, the district continues to strongly
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  Speaker 1: encourage anyone who has experienced inappropriate or offensive conduct, harassment,
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  Speaker 1: or abuse to report it. When the district is served
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  Speaker 1: with the lawsuit and has the opportunity to review it,
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  Speaker 1: kel Gotti said, the district will communicate additional information to
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  Speaker 1: our community as appropriate. According to the complaint, the district
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  Speaker 1: received warnings and complaints dating back years about Staffold's behavior,
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  Speaker 1: including reports from staff members and are written warning issued
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  Speaker 1: in twenty seventeen directing him to maintain professionalism and prohibiting
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  Speaker 1: him from allegedly hugging and touching students. The lawsuit alleges
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  Speaker 1: the district failed to take meaningful action to protect students.
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  Speaker 1: Staffold resigned from the district in July twenty twenty after
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  Speaker 1: the district initiated an investigation into his alleged behavior. Ah
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  Speaker 1: These four brave young women endured years of grooming, sexual harassment,
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  Speaker 1: sexual abuse, and manipulation by their former Oswego High School
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  Speaker 1: teacher and coach. Sean Staffeld Cass Casper of Disparty Law
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  Speaker 1: Group set at the news conference, this case is about
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  Speaker 1: holding both Staffold and Oswego School District three to eight
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  Speaker 1: accountable for a pattern of predatory conduct that the district
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  Speaker 1: knew about but failed to stop. Stafflet was a physical
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  Speaker 1: education teacher and a football, wrestling, and track coach at
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  Speaker 1: Oswego High School for about twelve years. The lawsuit alleges
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  Speaker 1: that after he resigned, District three oh eight failed to
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  Speaker 1: enforce a no trespassing order banning him from school grounds.
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  Speaker 1: The district repeatedly failed to enforce this order, allowing Staffeld
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  Speaker 1: to violate it with impunity in twenty twenty four and
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  Speaker 1: twenty twenty five and creating the potential for more victims.
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  Speaker 1: According to the lawsuit, in September twenty twenty five, after
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  Speaker 1: staffelds repeated in fractions and presence on school grounds, multiple
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  Speaker 1: victims publicly disclosed their abuse on social media, which itself
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  Speaker 1: triggered dozens of additional victims to come forward. According to
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  Speaker 1: the suit, this is the second time in two years
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  Speaker 1: the district has faced such a lawsuit. In June twenty
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  Speaker 1: twenty four, the district and the Oswego School Board reached
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  Speaker 1: a nine hundred and thirteen thousan five hundred dollars settlement
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  Speaker 1: agreement with a former Oswego East High School student who
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  Speaker 1: alleged in a federal lawsuit that she was sexually abused
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  Speaker 1: by a former Oswego East teacher. That former student also
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  Speaker 1: had been represented by Disparty law group