WESTCHESTER, Ill. (WLS) — A new lawsuit has been filed against the Westchester School District after a former teacher was accused of sexually abusing a student more than 20 years ago.

Last summer, Dawn Chester was charged with aggravated criminal sexual abuse. She was placed, at that time, on administrative leave from Berkley School District 87.

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The victim’s attorneys say the Westchester school district failed to take appropriate steps in 2000 to ensure Chester could not teach at another school once she resigned due to the allegations.

“Those in positions of authority could have prevented this, stopped this, limited this, and did not do so. There is now an obligation to make our client whole,” attorney David Rashid said.

The civil complaint alleges that Chester began writing letters to the girl, then 11, in 1998, and that inappropriate contact continued for two years.

RELATED: Berkeley teacher accused of sexually abusing Westchester Middle School student more than 20 years ago

The science teacher and volleyball coach allegedly touched the student inappropriately on several occasions.

“My client was sexually assaulted in the science lab, in class and in the gym,” Rashid said.

The complaint further alleges that the girl’s mother found the letters and took them to the school, but that the school did not contact police or the Department of Children and Family Services at that time.

More than two decades later, last June, the victim discovered on social media that Chester worked as a teacher at Northlake Middle School and immediately reported her to police.

Lawyers believe Chester may have other victims and are asking anyone to come forward.

The plaintiff did not want to be identified but shared a statement saying in part: “I am now telling my story, as painful as it is to share and relive, because I believe I can make a difference by holding the perpetrator and those who allowed this to happen to account.”

The superintendent of Berkeley School District 87 told ABC7 that Chester was placed on indefinite administrative leave when they learned of the criminal charge and that there had been no complaints about her during his 20 years as a science teacher.

The superintendent of Westchester School District 92.5 would not comment on the pending litigation.

Meanwhile, the Westchester School District released a statement saying: “While we are aware of the lawsuit, the district does not comment on pending litigation in order to respect the legal process and the privacy of those involved.”

Last summer, after authorities announced charges against Chester, the school district released a statement saying:

“Today, the district administration was contacted by the Westchester Police Department and informed of the arrest of Dawn Chester, who was a science teacher at Westchester Middle School from 1993 to 2000. Please see the statement from police about it here The district was initially contacted by police in late June of this year and informed that a former student had reported that she had been sexually abused more than 20 years ago then. that she was a 6th-7th grade student when Ms. Chester (originally hired as Ms. Anderson and later known as Ms. Lach) was her teacher and volleyball coach.

“No current Westchester 92.5 administrator was employed in the district at that time. A review of Ms. Chester’s personnel file indicates that the district was made aware of written notes and email communications between the former teacher and the student in 2000. Our records assert that the district worked with the family to address their concerns, which ultimately resulted in Ms. Chester’s resignation in 2000.

“The district cooperated fully with Westchester Police in their investigation of this matter. This included providing copies of notes and emails between the former teacher and student received as part of the family’s initial report to the district in 2000.

“Despite the fact that these allegations relate to a report of incidents that occurred over 20 years ago, we felt it important to communicate directly with our families and staff regarding this matter. Additionally, we would like to point out that Westchester 92.5 s is committed to protecting and ensuring the safety of our learning community and the well-being of our students. As part of our pre-employment process, we conduct employment background screening, criminal background checks and. cross-checks with federal and state sex offender databases Additionally, all faculty and staff participate in mandatory annual training regarding parameters for appropriate conduct with students, as well as other topics related to maintaining privacy. a safe school environment Each year, all district faculty and staff also confirm in writing their acknowledgment of a duty. report any suspicion or knowledge of abuse or neglect of a student.

“There is no record that Westchester 92.5 was contacted by a potential employer or provided an employment reference for Ms. Chester. The current Illinois School Code provides additional protections that require a school district to report to the State Superintendent of Education and the applicable Regional Superintendent of Schools any teacher who there is reasonable cause to believe is committed an intentional act of abuse or neglect, or an act of sexual misconduct, involving a minor child, resulting in the termination or resignation of the teacher from the school district. Such reporting may result in the revocation of a teaching license. No such requirement existed in 2000.”