CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Oswego Community Unit School District 308 has been sued in federal court over allegations that it hired a teacher despite knowledge of a pattern of predatory behavior.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of a former Oswego East high School student, who claimed that red flags were ignored concerning a teacher who abused her.
Named among the defendants was Justin Query. The suit alleges that Query began grooming at least one student in the 2006–2007 school year while he was a teacher at Oswego East High School.
“I think what happened to me while I was in high school confused me a lot about relationships [and] about power dynamics,” said Diana Mondragón, the plaintiff in the suit.
Mondragón was a junior at the time. From the office of Disparti Law Group in the Loop, she told WBBM Newsradio that the grooming evolved into sexual abuse throughout the remainder of her time in high school and beyond.
“I left him when I was 25,” said Mondragón.
She said it wasn’t until much later that she would begin to reckon with it. In 2022 she experienced a mental breakdown linked to the trauma. Further investigation revealed that Query, her accused abuser, had groomed or bullied other students and that before her, a similar incident had taken place in Iowa.
“It’s not the responsibility of high school kids to fix that issue or bring attention to that,” Mondragón said.
In reconnecting with old friends, she found a confusing validation.
“It is cathartic; it is validating; but it is also infuriating that, if the kids at the time knew what was going on, for certain, some of the adults also had suspicions,” she said.
Mondragón said what was obvious to her young peers at the time should have been obvious to the Oswego Community Unit School District 308 leadership. That’s the premise of the lawsuit, which aims to hold the district accountable.
In a statement to WBBM, a Oswego Community School District 308 spokesperson said the administration is aware of the complaint filed in federal court, though it has not yet been served with a copy of the complaint.
The district responds in part, that when they were first made aware of abuse allegations in 2022, Query was immediately placed on leave, and removed from contact or interaction with students. He did resign late 2023, and after the investigation ended the district did ensure that Query’s Illinois educator license was no longer active. He’s also been placed on a national list.
The district added that the safety, security, and well-being of their students are a non-negotiable priority.
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