High School Principal Sues Cop, City For Wrongful Arrest

CHICAGO (STMW) - A CPS high school principal is seeking more than $4 million in damages from a Chicago police officer and the city, after a 2010 in-school altercation involving a student ended with the principal being arrested on allegedly trumped-up charges, a federal lawsuit filed Thursday claims.

David J. Young, principal of the Chicago Academy for Advanced Technology at 1301 W. 14th St., claims he was defending a student after police officer Adam Andrews had handcuffed and choked the boy when Andrews retaliated by shoving the principal, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday in U.S. District Court. Andrews then had the principal wrongfully arrested for battery.

Young is suing Andrews for unlawful arrest, malicious prosecution, and two counts of inflicting emotional distress, according to the lawsuit. The city is charged with one count of unlawful arrest.

At around 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 20, 2010, Andrews, who was assigned to police the school campus, came to Young's office and told him the student had refused to leave the lunchroom, according to the lawsuit. Andrews had handcuffed the boy and had brought him to the school's security office, the suit states.

As Young, Andrews and the boy were preparing to discuss the issue in a hallway, the boy said Andrews had injured his leg while they were in the security office. This caused Andrews to become enraged, the suit states, and he pushed the boy – who was still handcuffed – against a wall, told him to be quiet and placed his hands around his neck.

The principal urged Andrews not to choke the boy, the suit states, and the officer responded that he worked for the Chicago Police Department, not for the principal, and was going to arrest the boy.

Andrews then pushed the student back into the security room and called for a nearby police sergeant to request a police car, the suit states.

Young contradicted the officer, asked the student to step out of the security office and told Andrews he was wrong to put his hands on the boy, the suit states. Andrews then pushed Young, causing the sergeant to stand between them. Young then went to call 911, the suit states.

Young then called police to report the incident and was informed that he would be arrested for striking a police officer, the suit states.

He was arrested for simple battery and battery to a police officer, spent six hours in custody and posted 10 percent of a $1,000 bond, the suit states.

At his fourth court appearance on Jan. 7, Andrews failed to appear and the case was dismissed, the suit states.

The boy was arrested for disorderly conduct, but the charges were dropped, the suit states.

Young is seeking $500,000 in compensatory damages and $500,000 in punitive damages for each of four counts, plus legal fees.

Attorneys for the plaintiff and the city of Chicago's legal department were not immediately available for comment Thursday evening.

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