River Forest, IL – A lawyer representing Jane Doe is seeking to reinstate River Forest High School (RBHS) as a defendant in a lawsuit alleging the school failed to adequately respond to concerns about a relationship between a teacher adn a student.The amended complaint, filed recently, centers on the actions of RBHS administrators Anthony Dughetti and Patrick Mannon in investigating allegations against former teacher Michael Prokes.
The lawsuit alleges that after student #1 reported a concerning meeting with Prokes – during which Prokes denied a physical relationship with Doe and alluded to Doe’s mental health – Dughetti and Mannon conducted a limited examination. The complaint details that Prokes allegedly told Doe it was “perfectly natural” for a teacher to hug a student, a statement he also communicated to Doe’s mother.
According to the amended complaint, Mannon interviewed Doe, who, allegedly following Prokes’s instruction, stated she and Prokes had onyl hugged. RBHS’s lawyers previously successfully argued for dismissal of the case against the school, citing Doe’s denial of a sexual relationship with Prokes as justification for believing no improper behavior occurred.
The amended complaint further alleges that Dughetti and Mannon did not interview other students with concerns about Prokes’s behavior,nor did they review text messages sent by him. “Mannon and Dughetti whitewashed and dismissed the reports of Doe’s schoolmates,” the complaint claims. During a meeting between Student #1, Dughetti, and Mannon, Mannon reportedly expressed concern about the difficulty of finding a replacement for Prokes should he be suspended or fired.
Both Dughetti, now a science teacher at RBHS, and Mannon declined to comment on the allegations, citing pending litigation. RBHS District 208 Superintendent kevin Skinkis also declined to discuss the specifics of the amended complaint.
