Father Sues Northwest Side School

CHICAGO -- The father of a 15-year-old boy has filed a negligence lawsuit against a Northwest Side school for troubled youth after a female teacher allegedly drank and had sex with his son on several occasions.

Linda Pithyou, 29, of 3723 W. Devon Ave., was formally charged March 13 with two counts of criminal sexual assault and four counts of aggravated sexual abuse, Cook County State’s Attorney’s office spokesman Tandra Simonton said.

The boy’s father filed the suit Friday in Cook County Circuit Court against Lawrence Hall Youth Services, where the alleged abuse occurred. The boy and his father are listed a John Doe and Richard Doe in the suit.

According to court records, Pithyou and the male student at the school at 4833 N. Francisco met on multiple occasions in Pithyou’s car near Sheridan and Pratt.

Pithyou, a teacher at Lawrence Hall, allegedly drank alcohol, smoked marijuana and engaged in oral sex and sexual intercourse with the boy approximately four times a week at various locations in a car, occasionally with her 16-month-old son in the back seat, according to prosecutors and the suit.

The alleged sexual relationship occurred between January 27, 2009 and February 23, 2009, according to the suit.

The suit alleges Pithyou also picked up the boy in her car and drove him to stores to buy him personal items, including a cell phone and clothing. She is also accused of purchasing and consuming alcohol and marijuana before returning him to the school after curfew hours.

The suit claims Lawrence Hall was negligent in supervising the boy to ensure his curfew regulations were being met and allowing him to stay outside his residential treatment center. It also says the school failed to enforce its alcohol and drug policy and failed to notice Pithyou was picking up the boy in a car after school hours and returning him to the school after curfew, the suit said.

The school also failed to monitor Pithyou’s outside contact with students and failed to notice she was purchasing gifts for the boy. The school should have also trained it staff to notice the potential for abuse.

The boy experienced physical and mental pain and suffering and emotional distress and has been required to seek medical treatment for his injuries, the suit said.

The two-count suit, which claims negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress, seeks more than $50,000, plus the costs of the suit.

Pithyou was arrested and charged on Feb. 20, according to police. She faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted, Simonton said.