Student repeatedly sexually assaulted 10-year-old on school bus, IL lawsuit says
The parents of a 10-year-old girl are suing after they say she was sexually assaulted repeatedly on a school bus in Illinois.
The federal lawsuit was filed against the Taylorville Community Unit School District #3 and Durham School Services, L.P. on June 17.
McClatchy News reached out to the school district for comment June 18 but did not immediately hear back. A spokesperson from Durham School Services, L.P. said the company cannot comment on pending litigation.
The lawsuit stems from an alleged sexual assault that took place during the 2023-24 school year between students at Taylorville Junior High School, according to a civil complaint.
In late January 2024, the 10-year-old girl living with ADHD and autism was experiencing “severe and pervasive bullying” by a boy at a school bus stop and on the bus, according to the complaint.
During a one-week period, the boy sat next to the girl on the school bus and repeatedly sexually assaulted her on their way home from school, the lawsuit said.
The girl was “cornered” as she was assaulted, the complaint said.
The boy told the girl that if she told anyone he would hurt her and her family and shame her, according to the complaint.
The boy also sexually assaulted the girl multiple times off the bus near a community center, the lawsuit said.
The girl told a librarian at the center what happened and her teacher was notified, the complaint said.
The girl’s parents filed a police report and order of protection on school officials and “insisted” that the district keep the boy away from their daughter, the lawsuit said.
The district responded by placing the boy on a different school bus with younger children, according to the lawsuit.
“The District took no measures whatsoever to prevent (the boy) from having access to (the girl) at or near the school bus stop at Taylorville Junior High School,” the complaint said.
After the alleged assault, the girl’s parents were told several times by community members that the boy “had a prior history of engaging in acts of sexual improprieties on other younger children,” the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit accuses the district of failing to “notify all teachers of the safety plan,” failing to get 30 days of bus footage after the assaults, failing to “provide adequate safety protocols” at and around the bus stops and on the bus, and “failing to follow the order of protection issued on February 2, 2024, which prohibited (the boy) from accessing (the girl’s) school.”
Since the incident, the girl has suffered emotional distress and psychological trauma and requires ongoing treatment, the complaint said.
The lawsuit is asking for an undetermined amount in damages.
This story was originally published June 18, 2025 at 2:04 PM with the headline "Student repeatedly sexually assaulted 10-year-old on school bus, IL lawsuit says."
