Riverโ Forest, IL – A lawyer representing Jane Doe is seeking to reinstate River Forest High School (RBHS) as a defendant in a lawsuit alleging theโข school failedโ to โฃadequately respond to concerns about a relationship between a teacher adn a student.The amended complaint,โข filed recently, centers on the actions of RBHS administrators Anthony โคDughetti and Patrick Mannon in investigating allegations against former teacherโ Michael Prokes.
The lawsuit alleges that after student #1 reported a concerning meeting with Prokes – during which โProkes denied a physical relationship with Doe and alludedโ 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 โฃlawyers previouslyโค successfully argued for dismissal of the case against the school, citing Doe’s denial of โa sexualโค relationship with Prokesโค as justification for believing no โขimproper behavior occurred.
The amended complaint further โalleges thatโฃ Dughetti and Mannon did notโฃ interview other students with concerns about Prokes’s behavior,nor did theyโค review text โmessages sent by him. “Mannon and Dughettiโ whitewashed and dismissed the reports of โDoe’s schoolmates,” the complaint claims. During aโ meeting between Student #1, Dughetti, and Mannon, Mannon โreportedly expressed concern about the difficultyโข of finding a replacement for Prokes should he be suspended or fired.
Both Dughetti, now a science teacher at RBHS, and Mannon declined โขto comment on the allegations, citing pending litigation.โ RBHS District 208โค Superintendent kevin Skinkis also declined to discuss the specifics of the amended complaint.