Chicago Board of Education to Vote on $17.5 Million Settlement for Former CPS Student Abused by High School Dean
The Chicago Board of Education is set to vote on Wednesday regarding a proposal to pay $17.5 million to a former CPS student who was a victim of years of grooming and sexual assaults by her high school dean.
If approved, the agreement would bring closure to a lawsuit filed last year by a former student of Greater Lawndale High School for Social Justice in Little Village. The lawsuit accused CPS of turning a blind eye to warnings and fostering a culture where employees engaged in sexual misconduct with students.
This settlement initiative follows the conviction of former dean Brian Crowder, 43, who was found guilty of multiple counts of criminal sexual assault and criminal sexual abuse by a Cook County jury. In August, Judge Stanley Sacks sentenced Crowder to 22 years in prison.
Prosecutors revealed that Crowder began grooming the victim in 2013 when she was between fifteen and seventeen years old. He initiated contact with her on Snapchat, sent explicit messages, invited her to his home, provided her with alcohol, and assaulted her in his bedroom during that summer. The abuse persisted for two years, occurring five or six times a month.
The victim became pregnant twice during this time, and Crowder posed as her stepfather to sign consent forms for abortions in 2014 and 2015. Medical records and Snapchat conversations between Crowder and the victim were presented as evidence during the trial.
Although the victim disclosed the abuse to a school employee during her senior year, she did not report it to the police at that time. She severed ties with Crowder in 2015.
In 2019, Crowder reached out to her through social media and at her workplace, prompting the victim to confide in a friend about the abuse and file a police report in 2024. Shortly thereafter, Crowder sent her a text saying “Goodbye forever.”
The civil lawsuit alleged that CPS disregarded numerous warnings about sexual misconduct within the district and perpetuated a culture where employees took advantage of students. It also claimed that multiple teachers and administrators at Greater Lawndale were involved in grooming or assaulting students before, during, and after the victim’s ordeal.
In its statement regarding the settlement, CPS denies legal liability but aims to resolve prolonged litigation and mitigate financial risks. The proposed settlement involves $7.5 million from insurance carriers and $10 million from taxpayers.
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