A federal jury has awarded $750,000 to the family of Jo’maury Champ, who was 9 years old when he says he was beaten inside a boys’ bathroom at George W. Tilton Elementary School on Chicago’s West Side. Champ testified that on September 20, 2018, Juanita Tyler, a distant relative who did not work at the school, struck him with two belts his lawsuit says were provided by his homeroom teacher, Kristen Haynes.
According to ABC7 Chicago, the federal civil rights lawsuit named Haynes, Tyler and the Chicago Board of Education, alleging Haynes arranged for Tyler to come to the school and physically punish the boy. Champ testified that both women dragged him into the bathroom, after which Haynes left while Tyler allegedly beat him roughly 20 times. He described the incident publicly for the first time during the federal civil trial, nearly six years after it happened, according to BlackNews.com.
A Child’s Testimony and a Sister’s Account
Champ told jurors he cried out for his mother while Tyler continued hitting him, per BlackNews.com’s reporting. His sister testified that she heard him scream and saw him return to class crying afterward, the outlet reported. His mother, Asia Gaines, said she learned about his injuries only after a relative picked him up from school and noticed marks on his body, according to the same account.
The lawsuit claimed the belts came from Haynes, who kept them in her classroom, and that the reason for the planned punishment was disputed — the record does not establish what prompted it, BlackNews.com’s reporting states. The family argued the district’s failures contributed to the harm Champ suffered, and that the Board of Education had failed to supervise teachers, provide proper training, or hold staff accountable for mistreating students.
Jury Finds Conspiracy and Emotional Distress
On September 18, 2024, the jury found the school board, Haynes and Tyler responsible for conspiracy and the infliction of emotional distress, awarding Champ’s family $750,000 in damages, the Chicago Tribune reported. The newspaper noted that Champ was hospitalized twice following the incident and diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder that exacerbated his ADHD. BlackNews.com’s account adds that he experienced panic attacks, bed-wetting, anxiety and insomnia, missed school, and needed psychological treatment and medication.
The family also said Champ felt unsafe when he returned to Tilton Elementary, according to BlackNews.com, and the complaint alleged he faced bullying from classmates and ridicule from a teacher. Gaines argued the district refused to cover transportation costs for a transfer to another school. The school board argued that state law protected it from certain damages, even as the jury held the board responsible on other counts.
CPS Pushes Back, Haynes Denies Role
Chicago Public Schools said it disagreed with the liability findings and signaled it might appeal. “We respectfully disagree with the liability findings against the Chicago Board of Education,” the district said, as quoted by the Chicago Tribune. The school board disputed most of the family’s allegations throughout the case, per BlackNews.com.
Haynes has denied arranging or allowing the beating, though she acknowledged having two belts in her classroom, BlackNews.com reported. She lost her job at Tilton Elementary following the incident and has challenged her dismissal. A separate federal lawsuit account noted that NBC News reported CPS and the Board of Education were aware Haynes had physically punished other students in her class with belts but had not disciplined her. The district removed Haynes from her position and launched a full investigation after learning of the allegations, according to a 2019 report from WTTW.
Conflicting Accounts of Tyler’s Criminal Case
Tyler was criminally convicted of misdemeanor battery in connection with the incident, though sources disagree on the timing. The Chicago Sun-Times reported she was found guilty of domestic battery in 2020, while the Chicago Tribune reported the conviction came in 2023. Haynes was acquitted of related child endangerment and battery charges, BlackNews.com noted.
The board’s payouts in cases involving student mistreatment have drawn scrutiny before: the Sun-Times reported that board members unanimously approved $300,000 for the family of a girl who endured years of racist bullying, and WTTW has reported that more than 700 CPS employees were disciplined for misconduct over one recent year.
