Woman Claims Montessori Teacher Bullied 5-Year-Old Son
CHICAGO (STMW) -- A woman is suing a South Side Montessori school, claiming a teacher bullied her 5-year-old son by slapping the boy, calling him names in front of his class and throwing his artwork in the trash.
The suit was filed Thursday in Cook County Circuit Court by a woman identified only as Jane Doe, claiming a teacher at All Day Montessori, 1891 W. 99th St., bullied her son multiple times in 2011 and 2012.
Woman Claims Montessori Teacher Bullied 5-Year-Old Son
The suit names Beechtree, Inc., which does business as All Day Montessori, as a defendant, in addition to the teacher and the school's director.
According to the suit, the teacher bullied the boy, identified only as John Doe, by violently grabbing, shaking him and slapping him. The mother claims the teacher chased him and dragged him across the classroom.
The teacher also called the boy names and took an art project he'd made for class out of his hands to throw it in the garbage in front of him, according to the suit. When the boy took it out of the trash, the teacher grabbed it from him and threw it away a second time.
The suit also claims the teacher refused to let the boy use the bathroom when he told her he needed to.
According to the suit, the boy was 5 years old when the bullying began in the fall of 2011, and it continued until he was 6.
The six-count suit charges the teacher and the school with willful and wanton conduct, assault and battery and infliction of emotional distress. The director and the school are also accused of negligence and breach of fiduciary duty, among other allegations.
The suit is seeking more than $250,000 in damages.
A representative for All Day Montessori could not be reached for comment on the suit Thursday evening.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2014. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
