A lawsuit against the Bensenville Fenton Community High School District 100 Board of Education, initiated Wednesday, accuses the district of failing to safeguard a student from a teacher who allegedly committed repeated sexual abuse. The plaintiff, referred to only as “Survivor A” in court documents, alleges that former teacher and track coach Michael Berago sexually harassed, assaulted, and raped her while she was a minor during 2015 and 2016. The abuse is said to have been allowed to continue unchecked for over a decade. According to the Chicago Tribune, Berago, who was 40 at the time of his firing in March, had a history of misconduct complaints dating back to his initial hiring at Fenton in 2007.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court, alleges gross negligence on the part of the Fenton High School, stating that school officials were cognizant of the teacher's behavior yet failed to take decisive actions to protect students. Despite being earlier made aware of multiple complaints about Berago's conduct, the lawsuit infers the school district continued to not only employ but also promote the teacher in question. As per a WLS report, Fenton's superintendent, James Ongtengco, found himself placed on leave amid the lawsuit, with unresolved calls for his resignation over mishandling of the situation. Fenton High School District 100 has refrained from extensive commenting on the matter, pending review by their attorneys.
Patrick Thronson, the leading attorney for the plaintiff, emphasizes the pressing need for accountability within the institution. "She’s coming forward to seek justice and to hold this institution accountable and to make sure this doesn’t happen to other children," Thronson told the Chicago Tribune. The lawsuit sheds light on Berago's alleged predatory tactics, accusing him of grooming the plaintiff beginning in the spring of 2015, using a school-issued cellphone to send her sexually explicit messages, eventually leading to assaults in his vehicle and within the school premises.
It was brought to light that in December 2016, the plaintiff was summoned to a meeting with the superintendent and a school resource officer about the accusations involved. During this confrontation, conducted without parental notification and in ostensible violation of Illinois' mandatory reporting laws, the victim felt "fearful, intimidated and alone," leading to her denying the relationship, the lawsuit outlines. The court documents suggest that the signs of Berago's deplorable conduct were "open and obvious" to other school staff, indicating a systemic failure rather than an isolated oversight. The ongoing legal process seeks not only an undisclosed sum in damages but also mandates the implementation of strengthened policies and procedures to prevent similar instances of abuse in the future.
