Nationwide — Jo’maury Champ, an African American boy from Chicago, Illinois, was 9 years old when a woman allegedly beat him with two leather belts inside his elementary school. His teacher, Kristen Haynes, was accused of arranging the punishment and providing the belts. Years later, Champ’s family won a $750,000 jury award in a federal civil rights lawsuit over the 2018 incident.
The alleged beating happened on Sept. 20, 2018, at Tilton Elementary School in Chicago. The lawsuit states Haynes arranged for Juanita Tyler, Champ’s distant relative who did not work at the school, to come in and physically punish him. The lawsuit alleged that the teacher and Tyler took him to a boys’ bathroom, where Haynes left him alone with Tyler. Champ testified that Tyler then struck him with two belts about 20 times. The reason for the planned punishment was disputed, and the available account did not clearly establish what prompted it.
Champ described the incident publicly for the first time during a federal civil rights trial about six years later. He told the jury that both women dragged him into the bathroom before Haynes left. Tyler allegedly continued hitting him while he cried out for his mother. His sister, who was in the same classroom, testified that she heard him scream and saw him return to class crying. The lawsuit also claimed the belts came from Haynes, who kept them in her classroom. Champ’s mother, Asia Gaines, said she learned about her son’s injuries after a relative picked him up from school and noticed marks on his body.
The family said the alleged beating caused lasting physical and psychological harm. The lawsuit states Champ experienced symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder, including panic attacks, bed-wetting, anxiety, and insomnia. He also missed school and needed psychological treatment and medication. His family accused the school district of failing to protect him after the incident, claiming he felt unsafe when he returned to Tilton Elementary. The complaint also alleged that he faced bullying from classmates and ridicule from a teacher. Gaines further argued that the district failed to help her transfer her son to another school by refusing to cover transportation costs.
The case also raised questions about the school district’s handling of alleged corporal punishment. The family accused the Chicago Board of Education of failing to supervise teachers, provide proper training and hold staff accountable for mistreating students. Haynes denied arranging or allowing the beating, although she acknowledged having two belts in her classroom. Tyler was convicted of misdemeanor battery, while Haynes was acquitted of related child endangerment and battery charges. Haynes lost her job at Tilton Elementary following the incident and challenged her dismissal. The school board disputed most of the family’s allegations and argued that state law protected it from certain damages.
The federal civil rights lawsuit sought compensation from both women and the Board of Education for the alleged abuse and its lasting effects. After hearing the case, the jury awarded Champ’s family $750,000 in damages, according to ABC 7 Chicago. The verdict marked a significant development in the family’s effort to hold those involved accountable, extending the case beyond the criminal proceedings that followed the 2018 incident. The lawsuit had argued that the school district’s alleged failures contributed to the harm Champ suffered and left his family dealing with the consequences long after the day of the beating.