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PEORIA (25News Now) – A Chicago-based climbing gym’s Peoria facility was the site of a sexual assault four years ago, an incident which will now cost the company millions of dollars
On Monday, June 29, First Ascent Climbing and Fitness was ordered by Cook County Judge Eileen O’Connor to pay $49 million in compensatory damages and $1 million to a Central Illinois family of an eight-year-old boy who was assaulted at the Peoria venue in 2022
On July 18, 2022, the victim’s family reported that the boy was attending summer camp at the facility, located in the Warehouse District of Peoria, when another boy, 13 years old at the time, sexually assaulted him in the bathroom
“It was a huge harm to this young man,” said Clifford Law Offices attorney Charles Haskins, who is one of the attorneys representing the family. “He has PTSD, the parents have to be with him all the time, and he won’t go to the bathroom alone in public. One of his parents has to stand outside his door when he goes to the bathroom in his own house.”
Haskins said the company failed to train employees on how to properly supervise children. He said counselors had also been told to watch out for the 13-year-old boy who had previous incidents, and was told he should not be allowed in the bathroom alone with others
“Young counselors were basically left in charge to set up, establish, and figure out the guidelines of the camp with no oversight from any managers,” Haskins said. “The two managers on the day of the incident, one was actually in Wyoming, and one was at a dentist appointment, and these three counselors were left with absolutely no support.”
He said the 13-year-old assailant was tried in Peoria County, but because he is a juvenile, 25News was not able to retrieve court records regarding the charges or outcome of the case
Haskins said he believes this case and its verdict will tell summer camps across the state they have a responsibility to uphold, or legal trouble can follow
“When parents sign their kids up for summer camp, I think the number one assumption is, above climbing and activities, their [children] are going to be supervised,” he said. “If you’re going to advertise a summer camp to kids, you have to do it the right way.”
25News also reached out to First Ascent for comment but has not heard back as of yet
First Ascent in Peoria remains open and operating summer camps
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