A Unit 5 parent is suing the school district for alleged discrimination of her child at Chiddix Junior High School in Normal.
Angela Sutton claims her daughter was repeatedly harassed by other students because she is transgender. Court filings said Sutton raised concerns to administrators on multiple occasions about the harassment and was ignored. The suit alleges the district took no meaningful action after her child was physically attacked at school and that the harassment was preventable.
Sutton claims she notified the school in January 2024 about her child’s transgender identity and chosen name, and was assured by administrators her previous gender identification would be kept confidential.
But the lawsuit claims not all records were updated and Sutton's child was assigned a student school-issued email address with her former "dead" name, which was repeated by a teacher in class.
Court filings said this drew attention to the student's transgender status and sparked verbal bullying that escalated to physical altercations in February and March 2024.
"Despite Defendants' prior knowledge of the the harassment and the subsequent assault, Defendants failed to take prompt and effective steps to protect Plaintiff or prevent further harm," the lawsuit said.
The filing further said the student was later diagnosed with a concussion, potential traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder, in addition to vision and hearing impairments, cognitive decline and difficulty maintaining educational progress.
A judge approved Unit's 5 request to have the case moved from McLean County court to federal court in Peoria earlier this year. The district’s lawyer said it “strongly denies the allegations in the complaint” and plans to assert affirmative defenses.
In addition to Unit 5, Chiddix Principal Mariana Nicasio and Unit 5 Executive Director of Student Supports Kristal Shelvin are named defendants in their official capacities within the district. According to Unit 5 attorney Curt Richardson, there can be no personal judgment against them. In March, Nicasio announced she is leaving her position at the end of the school year.
Sutton is requesting a jury trial and seeking compensation no less than $4,000 for the alleged civil rights violations, plus additional relief to cover the cost of litigation. The court has not yet set a trial date.
