Education · Freeburg, IL
10th Lawsuit Filed Against Freeburg, IL School District Over Alleged Abuse
A tenth anonymous plaintiff has sued Freeburg Community Consolidated School District 70 and former school board president Herschel Parrish, alleging sexual abuse by educator Robin "Rob" Hawkins between fall 2005 and spring 2008. The complaint alleges district officials allowed Hawkins unsupervised access to students despite receiving reports of misconduct over 25 years and failed to notify law enforcement or child-welfare authorities as required by Illinois law. Nine prior lawsuits filed between 2010 and 2024 resulted in settlements totaling $5.6 million for seven plaintiffs plus one non-filing victim; one case remains pending. Hawkins served the district from 1977 through 2009, rising from teacher to superintendent before dying by suicide in 2009 following a state police investigation.