Paul Brock Allegedly Sexual Groomed Students At Lake Forest School

Unsafe Premises - November 17, 2023

Paul Brock, Teacher at Deer Path Middle School, Sexually Groomed Student At Previous Job, According To Lake Forest School Officials

Paul Brock Allegedly Sexual Groomed Students At Lake Forest School

LAKE FOREST, ILLINOIS (November 17, 2023) – A teacher at Deer Path Middle School identified as Paul Brock has been accused of sexually grooming students in a prior position.

The Lake Forest School District 67 board adopted a resolution to suspend and dismiss the teacher. Superintendent Matt Montgomery said that Paul Brock is facing three charges.

Charge One: The teacher is accused of engaging in a personal and sexually grooming relationship with a middle school student.

Charge Two: The teacher is accused of misrepresenting his employment history in the course of the application process with District 67.

Charge Three: The teacher is accused of misrepresenting his relationship with the student in the prior school district.

It remains unclear where and when the alleged misconduct of Paul Brock took place. A full investigation remains ongoing at this time.

Liability For Lake Forest Student Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse among children is far more pervasive than most people would realize. According to RAINN, “One in 9 girls and 1 in 20 boys under the age of 18 experience sexual abuse or assault. 82% of all victims under 18 are female. Females ages 16-19 are 4 times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault.” Sexual grooming can take many forms, but it often follows a similar pattern.

  • Victims are selected based on ease of access or perceived vulnerability.
  • Groomers may attempt to isolate the victim.
  • Groomers may try to desensitize students to touch through hugging, wrestling or tickling.
  • Groomers may try to gain the trust of victims through gifts, attention or sharing secrets.

Schools have a legal obligation to protect students from reasonably foreseeable sources of harm. This includes sexual abuse at the hands of teachers. Consider, for example Jane Doe-3, et al., v. McLean County Unit Dist. No. 5, et al., 2012 IL 112479. The court held that a school can be held liable for school officials who make false statements about a former teacher who abuses students when that teacher goes on to abuse other students. Many steps should be taken after any suspected instance of student sexual abuse.

  • All reports of the offending teacher should be reviewed.
  • Eye witnesses should be interviewed.
  • A police report of the incident should be created.
  • The disciplinary record for the teacher involved should be understood.

Sexual abuse can be one of the most harmful things that most students will ever go through. It can leave them with lasting physical and psychological trauma. Sadly, though, schools will often do everything that they can to deny responsibility if one of their teachers sexually abuses a student. Any person that is sexually abused by a teacher may have legal recourse through a civil claim.

Investigating Lake Forest Student Sexual Abuse

We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates extend our best wishes to any student who may have been harmed by the actions of Paul Brock. Any person that may have more information should speak with investigators. There needs to be a thorough investigation into what happened.

Have you or someone that you care about been harmed by the sexual misconduct of a teacher in the Lake Forest School District? Our team of sexual abuse attorneys are here to help in any way that we can. We care deeply that abuse victims are aware of their rights and that those rights are being protected. Whether you just have legal questions or need any type of support we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (312) 564-4256.