Editor’s note: This story was updated on Sept. 8 to reflect that a former RBTV aide declined to comment on the story when reached by the Landmark.
A graduate of Riverside Brookfield High School who resides in Riverside has filed a lawsuit against Gary Prokes, the former head of RBTV, and against Riverside Brookfield High School, alleging that Prokes had an illicit sexual relationship with her while she was a student and taking classes with and working under Prokes.
The suit also alleges that RBHS failed to protect her from Prokes and failed to properly investigate Prokes.
The plaintiff, who graduated from RBHS in 2018, filed the lawsuit on June 10 using the pseudonym Jane Doe to protect her privacy. The lawsuit, in its early stages, seeks damages in excess of $50,000 on each of five specific counts.
“This case arises as a result of the sexual grooming and sexual battery that that Plaintiff has suffered from Prokes’s illicit behavior while he was a faculty member of RBHS,” the 16-page complaint filed in Cook County Circuit Court states. “Prokes is a predator and must be held accountable. RBHS is equally culpable: the school district failed to protect Doe despite years of open and obvious illegal contact by Prokes. This lawsuit is Doe’s attempt to confront Defendants to receive justice for her substantial injuries.”
RBHS officials had nothing to say about the lawsuit when contacted by the Landmark.
“The high school is aware of the ongoing litigation; therefore, we cannot provide a comment,” Supt. Kevin Skinkis said.
District 208 school board president Deanna Zalas had a similar response.
“I’m not going to comment on pending litigation,” Zalas said.
Prokes, a graduate of RBHS, retired from RBHS in 2023 after working at the school for 37 years. Prokes did not respond to requests for comment left by telephone, text and Facebook Messenger.
The Riverside Police Department has recently opened an investigation of Prokes.
“We were recently notified on an issue and we are conducting a criminal investigation and at this time I cannot comment any further as result of that because it is a pending investigation,” said Riverside Director of Public Safety Matt Buckley.
The lawsuit alleges that Prokes remained in contact with Doe after she graduated from RBHS in 2018 and that Doe and Prokes had sexual intercourse at the school after her graduation. The lawsuit further alleges that Doe and Prokes engaged in other sexual activity before she graduated.
“The years of abuse by Prokes and the inaction by RBHS, followed by years of manipulation and evasion, have had a devastating impact on Doe,” the complaint states. “Prokes’s and RBHS’s crimes continue to haunt Doe to this day and causing her to suffer serious emotional trauma and other injuries for which she seeks compensatory and exemplary damages.” The complaint states that Doe attempted suicide in 2021 and was hospitalized for mental health treatment in April and May 2022.
The lawsuit alleges that Prokes groomed Doe from the time she enrolled in a one-week television production workshop taught by Prokes the summer before she started her freshman year in 2015. She then enrolled as a freshman in Prokes’ television production class and continued to take classes from Prokes throughout her high school career as well as work for RBTV.
The complaint alleges that during her freshman year Prokes contacted Doe via Snapchat, something that he did with many RBTV students, according to a former RBHS student who spoke to the Landmark on condition of anonymity.
During Doe’s freshman year Prokes would, according to the complaint, give hugs to Doe when she had difficulty on school tests allegedly to help Doe cope with stress. At first, the lawsuit states, Doe would refuse the hugs but then they became more common and were not resisted. The complaint alleges in the summer after her sophomore year Prokes worked to groom Doe taking her on daily errands and tasks related to RBTV.
“For instance, Prokes drove Doe to a pet store where they purchased five fish for the RBHS fish tank that stood in the TV production classroom,” the complaint states. “These ‘errands’ manipulated Doe by making her feel special and unique and, as Prokes observed, that she and Prokes had a special relationship. Prokes allowed Doe to name the fish.”
During Doe’s sophomore year, the complaint alleges, the relationship between Prokes and Doe intensified. They would text and communicate on Snapchat on a regular basis. The complaint alleges that a former RBTV aide saw Prokes and Doe hugging and kissing during Doe’s sophomore year. The complaint alleges that the aide did not report what she saw to school administrators. The aide declined to comment to the Landmark when reached.
During Doe’s sophomore year she, according to the complaint, told Prokes that she loved him. According to the complaint Prokes replied “I love you too.”
The complaint alleges that Prokes sought to connect with Doe on the basis of their shared Czech heritage and that Prokes told Doe that he had been physically abused by his father and verbally abused by his mother when he was a child.
The lawsuit claims that during Doe’s sophomore year RBHS officials, concerned about Prokes’ developing relationship with Doe, instituted a new policy forbidding teachers to text students or contact students via social media such as Snapchat.
According to the complaint the relationship between Prokes and Doe intensified during her junior year. The complaint alleges that Prokes, in violation of school policy, continued to text Doe and that Doe would visit Prokes daily for hugs.
According to the complaint the relationship became more sexual during Doe’s senior year when Prokes began touching Doe intimately before, during and after their almost daily hugs. According to the complaint Prokes often rubbed Doe’s stomach during the hugging. The complaint alleges that Prokes and Doe would meet in RBTV production labs, known as studios, at the school, one of which had a couch, as well as in a storage closet.
The complaint alleges that in November of her senior year, when Doe was 17, Prokes started touching Doe’s genital areas. The first time Prokes put his hands on Doe’s buttocks she allegedly pushed them away and Prokes apologized and told Doe that she was so attractive that he lost control.
But the touching allegedly escalated after that.
The complaint alleges that on the night of the school play in 2017 an unnamed student saw Prokes and Doe hugging in an RBTV studio.
“When Prokes noticed that he had been observed, he immediately left the RBHS Studio B to find the student and to speak with that other student,” the complaint states.
The next day, according to the complaint, Prokes called Doe into his office and told her that if she was asked about her relationship with him she should just deny everything. He also allegedly told Doe that his relationship with her “was all worth it for him.”
The complaint alleges that RBHS officials conducted what the complaint terms a “whitewash investigation” of the relationship between Prokes and Doe and that an assistant principal interviewed Doe who said that it was just a hug and did not reveal the intimacies of their relationship.
Neither Doe’s lawyer, Thomas Cronin, nor Supt. Skinkis would identify which RBHS assistant principal, Dave Mannon or Kylie Lindquist, interviewed Doe. Neither Mannon nor Lindquist returned calls from the Landmark asking them whether they had interviewed a student about Prokes.
During her senior year Doe had an independent study period with Prokes. During that time, the complaint alleges Doe would regularly masturbate Prokes within the school.
“Such sexual liaisons became frequent both during and after school within the RBHS school building,” the complaint states.
By the spring of her senior year in 2018 Doe, according to the complaint, believed that she was in love with Prokes and was hoping for a long-term relationship with him.
“When Doe asked Prokes about their future together Prokes said ‘You will have to wait for me’ because Prokes was married with a wife,” the complaint states. “Prokes told Doe that it might take a few years before he would divorce his wife so that he and Doe could be together.”
In the years after graduation, Doe struggled with mental health and her relationship with Prokes seems to have abated as she considered what had happened. The complaint alleges that on May 11, 2021 Prokes sent a text message to Doe.
“I know you are struggling with the past and all the horrible things I did and I am ashamed of myself,” Prokes allegedly told Doe by text.
After this, the complaint alleges that Prokes reached out to Doe with texts and other messages including sending Doe a letter that allegedly said, “Love you and miss you, Gary.” The complaint says that Doe threw the letter away.
After she graduated Doe was, according to the complaint, concerned after hearing about another student becoming close to Prokes. Prokes then allegedly told Doe, “You’re the only student I ever loved; still do.”
The complaint states that when she was about 21, Doe met with Prokes to discuss their past. According to the complaint Doe told Prokes that he had molested her. Prokes allegedly responded “’[T]hat’s a strong word,’ then Prokes cried and told Doe ‘I love you.’”
RBHS is accused of negligent supervision of Prokes, negligent retention of Prokes, and willful and wanton negligence. Prokes is accused of negligence and sexual battery.