A high school teacher's career hangs in the balance as he battles allegations of child abuse stemming from a classroom incident. Mark Eleveld, a tenured AP English teacher at Joliet West High School, has filed a lawsuit against the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and several associated individuals. The complaint was lodged on April 11, 2025, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, naming DCFS Director Heidi Mueller among others as defendants.
The case revolves around an incident that occurred on September 17, 2021, when Eleveld intervened during a confrontation between a student and another teacher at Joliet West High School. The situation escalated when the student refused to identify himself and used profanities. Eleveld attempted to detain the student by holding his arm or bookbag to prevent him from leaving until assistance arrived. This led to both falling to the ground after the student tripped them. The school reported this as potential child abuse to DCFS on September 27, 2021. Despite initial support from school officials who deemed Eleveld's actions reasonable under the circumstances, Superintendent Karla Guseman later accused him of excessive force and coerced his resignation by threatening public disclosure of the incident.
Eleveld's legal battle intensified when DCFS indicated him for child abuse on January 25, 2022. He appealed this decision and underwent an administrative hearing before Judge Cynthia Gonzalez in March 2024. The judge found no credible evidence supporting the abuse allegations and recommended expunging the finding from DCFS records—a recommendation concurred by DCFS Director Heidi Mueller on April 19, 2024.
In his lawsuit, Eleveld accuses DCFS investigators Danielle Gage and Elizabeth Kimble of conducting a biased investigation riddled with procedural errors and false claims about ongoing police investigations. He alleges that their actions violated his constitutional rights under Section 1983 by depriving him of due process through contrived investigations based on unsupported allegations.
Eleveld seeks general and compensatory damages for loss of pay and benefits, emotional distress, damage to reputation, attorneys' fees, expenses incurred during legal proceedings, exemplary damages for willful misconduct by defendants Gage and Kimble individually as well as collectively with DCFS; he also demands statutory attorneys’ fees under Section 1983 provisions.
Representing Eleveld is attorney Nicholas F. Esposito while Judge Cynthia Gonzalez presided over related administrative hearings concerning these charges previously adjudicated within DCFS framework but now pending judicial review following formal litigation initiation via Case ID:1:25-cv-03964