meyers & flowers earn sexual abuse settlement
The firm filed a civil lawsuit against the West Aurora School District, the former Principal of West Aurora High School and the former Superintendent of the School District in September of 2012 on behalf of a young woman who was sexually abused by her band teacher, Steve Orland, during her Junior and Senior years at West Aurora High School. The band director pleaded guilty to abusing the firm’s client in March of 2012 and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. The firm’s civil lawsuit for money damages was filed because the school officials ignored warnings that Orland was a pedophile and failed to report Orland to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services after a school janitor told the district he saw Orland with a different female student in a dark band room closet.
“Our client had the guts to stand up to this pedophile and the School District because she wanted to prevent other young girls from being abused,” said trial attorney Craig Brown. “Because of her courage and conviction, the Kane County State’s Attorney’s office has forced the School District to implement new policies and procedures that will make the school a much safer place for young girls. We sincerely hope other school districts pay attention to this case so their students can enjoy their high school experience without being victimized by sexual predators.”
For more information about this case, please see reports from the following media outlets: