Chicago Board of Education hit with suit over falling building materials

A man is suing the city's board of education over claims building materials fell on top of him while he was working on a restoration project at a district school.

Santiago Vazquez filed a lawsuit Jan. 5 in Cook County Circuit Court against the Chicago Board of Education, alleging negligence.

According to the complaint, on June 6, 2014, Vasquez was assigned by his employer, SBK Building Restoration, to work on a project at Rachel Carson Elementary School, 5516 South Maplewood Ave. and was injured.

Vazquez alleges the Chicago Board of Education failed to inspect the area for loose and falling bricks and provide workers with protection from falling materials. He is represented by attorney John K. Hughes of Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & Dym in Chicago.

This is a report on a civil lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court. The details in this report come from an original complaint filed by a plaintiff. Please note, a complaint represents an accusation by a private individual, not the government. It is not an indication of guilt and represents only one side of the story.