2 Sex Abuse Suits Filed Against Lake Forest High School, Teachers

LAKE FOREST, IL — Seven former Lake Forest High School students accused two retired teachers of sexual abuse in a pair of federal lawsuits filed Friday.

Six alumni are suing former drama teacher David Miller, whose name was removed from campus last year in response to allegations of inappropriate contact with students.

Miller resigned from the high school in 2009 after Lake Forest police notified administrators of an investigation into messages he exchanged with a student, which ultimately did not lead to criminal charges, according to an investigation conducted on behalf of the district.

In the second lawsuit, a former student identified as Sharon F., now in her 50s, alleges that former teacher and softball coach Cynthia Martin groomed and sexually abused her from 1986 to 1988.

According to her suit, Sharon and Martin would get drunk, consume illegal drugs and have sex at the homes of other LFHS teachers, who were allegedly aware of the abuse.

Both complaints also name Lake Forest Community High School District 115 and Lake Forest High School as defendants. A district spokeperspon has yet to respond to an inquiry about the allegations.

According to their suits, all seven former students suppressed the memories of the abuse and first became aware that they had been injured by childhood sexual abuse in July 2019 or later.

One of the six plaintiffs who accuses Miller of abuse in the suit against him and the district spoke publicly about the abuse at the June 2020 school board meeting, when the former longtime teacher's name was stripped from the school's studio theater and Wall of Fame.

Following the meeting, district administrators hired the law firm Rebecca Leitman Veidlinger to produce a report about the district's response. It identified 14 former students who self-identified as victims or survivors of sexual abuse by Miller. Of those, only one agreed to speak with the law firm. Several declined to speak with investigators through their attorneys, according to the report.

Attorney Ian Alexander, who represents the former students in both the cases filed Friday in Chicago federal court, said he became involved in the case during Veidlinger's investigation.

"It wasn't that they didn't want to participate. We wanted to participate, but we wanted to participate in a process that's transparent. I know it's a cliche, but sunshine is the best disinfectant," Alexander said.

Critics of the Veidlinger report, including educator sex abuse victims advocate John Bollman, have characterized it as an attempt to ward off future litigation.

"My clients still would welcome a real cooperative process with the high school, they really would," the plaintiffs' attorney said. "They want accountability, however that comes."

Alexander said he has evidence that district officials knew of alleged abuse by Martin and Miller by the early 1980s. Both former teachers targeted students experiencing difficulty at home for grooming, according to the suits.

In the case of Sharon F., who was grieving from the recent death of her father, Martin allegedly gave the teen alcohol and drugs starting at the age of 16 and told the girl not to tell anyone about the abuse — because her teacher and coach told her she "loved" her.

"District 115, including its teachers, administrators, and school board members, knew of Martin's inappropriate sexual behavior with students," her suit alleges. "During all of the above events, teachers and school administrators reported their concerns regarding Martin's conduct to the Lake Forest School District. Among the concerns communicated to the Lake Forest School District were details regarding the above-referenced sexual abuse by Martin. District 115 took affirmative steps to hide the abuse by arranging for Martin to get a job at another school."

District officials never documented, investigated or intervened in response to the allegations against Martin, according to the suit.

Similarly, there was allegedly widespread knowledge of Miller's inappropriate sexual activity, parties and overnight trips with students.

The suit alleges a parent of an LFHS student reported misconduct by Miller "by the early 1980's, at the latest." Between then and Miller's 2009 resignation, "teachers, parents, village residents, and school administrators reported their concerns" about Miller to the district.

As head of the school's Theater Department and Telecom program, he would use his volatile temper and alcohol to groom students ahead of pressuring them into "hugs, back rubs, roughhousing, kissing, fondling, and oral sex," according to the six men's suit.

Miller was tried and acquitted of a charge of misdemeanor battery of a student in 1991. He has not been criminally charged with sexual abuse.

Related:
Lewd Audio During Remote Learning Leads To Teacher's Resignation
Sexual Misconduct Investigation Into Ex-Drama Teacher Released
Ex-LFHS Teacher Accused Of 'Inappropriate' Contact With Students

Journalist Bob Chiarito, who first revealed the pair of pending 13-count federal lawsuits and interviewed several of the plaintiffs ahead of Friday's filing, reported Martin denied taking part in any illegal activity, and Miller declined to comment.

With the permission of a judge, one of the former students suing Miller and the district filed the suit as John Doe, two allowed themselves to be identified only by their first name and last initial, and three elected to publicly reveal their names.

Alexander, their attorney, said district officials already know the identities of all of his clients.

"Some of them felt that it was important to be identified by their name, some of them felt they didn't want to be revictimized by this," Alexander said.

"My clients are not looking for a settlement. They're not looking for some financial boon for themselves. They're committed to getting to the bottom of this."

Questions about the handling of allegations of sexual misconduct by LFHS staff were renewed this year after the resignation of a shop teacher and football coach who had been placed on administrative leave in connection with a social media post that appeared to show him broadcasting lewd audio during a remote learning class.

District officials, who are mandated reporters under state law, did not report the incident to state or local authorities for investigation, and the staffer quit before any discipline was imposed. His resignation was accepted at the same meeting the board accepted the recommendations of its review into the allegations against Miller.