Former CPS student speaks out on alleged abuse by gym teacher

CHICAGO - A former Chicago Public Schools student alleges in court documents that he was sexually abused for several years by a PE teacher at his elementary school.

Now, for the first time, he is speaking publicly.

The Chicago Board of Education settled with the man, who is now an adult, earlier this year but a civil case against the accused perpetrator is ongoing. 

What we know:

While CPS settled for $1.1 million with the former student over the summer, that man, who wishes to remain anonymous and who we are referring to as John Doe, wants his story heard.

FOX 32 Chicago reached out to the accused gym teacher — who was terminated from CPS in 2022 — and his attorney but did not receive a response as of filing this report.

"It's just something that never leaves you. It's just always there," Doe said.

Doe shared that what he endured is something that still weighs heavily on him.

According to a civil complaint filed last year, Doe says he was abused by Isaac Vega — sexually, physically, and mentally — beginning in the mid-90s.

Doe went to Carl Von Linne Elementary School in the city's Avondale neighborhood on the Northwest Side and that's when documents allege Vega started "grooming" the boy.

At the time, he was in 6th grade and shares that he and his family were in a vulnerable position.

"My mom was extremely ill, my father passed at a very young age, we had no father figure in our life, no guidance. My mom could not raise two boys on her own. And he saw an opportunity to take advantage, and he did," Doe said. "He then 10 times did even more with the verbal, the mental, the physical abuse, the threats — the threats that became reality."

The complaint, which was filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, goes on to say that Vega gained the boy's trust, and roughly one year later, the alleged abuse started.

"It was everywhere. When I say everywhere, it was school. It was home. It was car. It was park. It was my personal home, his personal home. For a little while he lived with his parents. It was in his parents' home. To this day, it's really difficult. I drive all over the city every single day for work and I have to make multiple pit stops in different locations. And some of those pit stops are places that he actually abused me in a car," Doe shared.

Doe's attorney, Mark Brown — who is a managing partner at Lane Brown, LLC — says Doe was manipulated. Brown states in court documents that the abuse lasted for roughly five years.  

"As a 12-year-old and you're looking for that stability in your life, you can see how a vulnerable child of that age is going to be susceptible to an older male figure for at least a year, providing you guidance, providing assistance, helping you in sports, sort of mentoring you at the school you're in, and then when that person has gained your confidence, taking advantage of it," Brown said. "It lasted for several years while at Carl Von Linne in the mid-90s, and then even after that until he was old enough to fight him off."

Among the allegations outlined, the complaint states that after Vega was provided a private office at the school, "Vega inappropriately sexually touched and abused Plaintiff in said office approximately three to four times a week before or after various sports team practices."

According to the complaint, when Doe was in 7th or 8th grade, Vega was investigated "for an inappropriate relationship with the Plaintiff." It goes on to state that Vega pulled Doe out of class and "informed him that people were going to ask him questions about his interactions with Vega and demanded the Plaintiff deny any allegations of inappropriate sexual behavior."

Court documents claim that Doe complied with Vega's request. Furthermore, the complaint states that several years later in a conversation that was recorded, Vega told Doe that the school's principal advised Vega to stay away from Doe at the time of the DCFS investigation. The complaint alleges that Vega then relayed to Doe what he responded to the principal, which was that he would not stay away from him.

Doe originally filed this civil suit in 2019. In October 2023, the matter was voluntarily dismissed without prejudice, with the right to re-file under the applicable statutes. It was then re-filed in 2024.

Brown says part of why his client is choosing to come forward publicly now is to prevent this from happening again.

"That concern is one of the reasons why we're going to trial against him is so that he will be exposed and maybe someone else in the future will be prevented from going through what our client went through," Brown said. "He wants to make sure that people know what a monster this guy is."

Legal proceedings in the civil case against Vega are pending.

"I want to be able to look him in the eye, let him know once again, like I just said, that he didn't break me, that I turned into a pretty, I think, remarkable young man," Doe said. 

What they're saying:

A spokesperson with Chicago Public Schools released the following statement to FOX 32 on Thursday:

"Chicago Public Schools (CPS) prioritizes the safety of our students and staff. All schools across the District are committed to building a physically and emotionally safe teaching and learning environment for students, staff, and families."

FOX 32 made several attempts to reach Vega and his attorney for a response to the allegations outlined in the civil complaint but did not immediately hear back. 

What's next:

An assignment hearing in the civil case is scheduled at 10 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 1.