Monik Harron has filed a lawsuit against Elementary School District 159, along with four unnamed employees, following a disturbing incident involving her eight-year-old son, Marion Hammonds. The complaint was filed on December 3, 2024, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The suit accuses the school district and its employees of various violations after an alleged assault on Marion by a school employee at Marya Yates Elementary School.
According to the complaint, on November 8, 2024, Marion Hammonds was subjected to a violent attack by an unidentified school employee while he was in the hallway of Marya Yates Elementary School. The employee allegedly grabbed Marion from behind, threw him against a wall, and dragged him into a classroom. This traumatic event resulted in physical injuries to Marion's right arm and head and has left him suffering from severe anxiety and emotional distress. Monik Harron is pursuing criminal charges against the employee involved in this incident.
The lawsuit claims that the defendants violated Marion's constitutional rights under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and the Fourteenth Amendment by depriving him of his right to bodily integrity. It also accuses John Does 2-4 of failing to intervene during the assault and charges Elementary School District 159 with negligence involving willful and wanton conduct for not safeguarding students from such abuse. Additionally, it alleges battery against John Doe 1 for his direct involvement in the physical attack.
Harron seeks compensatory damages amounting to $1,500,000 for physical and psychological injuries sustained by her son. She is also seeking reasonable attorneys' fees and any other relief deemed appropriate by the court. The case underscores serious allegations about student safety within schools and highlights potential lapses in oversight by educational institutions.
Representing Monik Harron are attorneys Cass T. Casper and Amanda Martin from Disparti Law Group P.A., based in Chicago. The case is being presided over under Case ID: 1:24-cv-12413.