The alleged victim, named "Richard Doe" in the lawsuit that was filed Friday in Kendall County (Illinois) Circuit Court in Yorkville, states in his lawsuit that Hastert sexually assaulted him in a bathroom when the victim was in fourth grade, and that the county state's attorney at the time threatened him with criminal charges upon hearing the story years later.
The lawsuit seeks $50,000 in damages from Hastert and Yorkville Community Unit School District 115 for charges including battery, negligent infliction of emotional distress and intentional infliction of emotional distress for an incident that allegedly happened when the boy stopped to use a school bathroom after riding his bike during the summer.
Weeks after the alleged incident, Doe began crying when he recognized Hastert during gym class at Yorkville Grade School as the man who abused him, according to his lawsuit. The grade school is next to Yorkville High School, where Hastert was a teacher and wrestling coach at the time.
The lawsuit goes on to allege that both Hastert and then, a decade later, Kendall County State's Attorney Dallas Ingemunson warned Doe not to say anything about the incident when Doe reportedly went to Ingemunson's office to report the crime in the mid-1980s.
Reached Saturday by the DeKalb (Ill.) Daily Chronicle, Ingemunson told the newspaper that "all these things (the new accuser) is saying are untrue." He added: "I have no idea what he's talking about."
Regarding the Hastert accusations, Ingemunson said, "I wish this stuff would all just go away."
"I have no idea how this is going to blow up now, with all this crap," he added. "It's just all untrue nonsense."
Hastert's attorney didn't immediately return messages from The Associated Press on Sunday seeking comment.
When asked about the lawsuit, District 115 spokeswoman Kristine Liptrot told the DeKalb newspaper she was "unaware of the new allegations that have been brought forward" and that she "cannot comment on pending litigation."
"However, if law enforcement needs our assistance, we are always available to help in an investigation," Liptrot said.
A hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.
This is the first accusation involving someone who was not a high school athlete at the time. Hastert had been accused of sexual assaulting some of his wrestlers at Yorktown High School, located about 50 miles southwest of Chicago, in the 1960s and 1970s. He is currently serving a 15-month sentence at the Federal Medical Center in Rochester, Minn. for evading federal banking rules in an apparent scheme to pay hush money to an unidentified individual on the Yorkville wrestling team when he was head coach. Hastert is scheduled to be released August 16.
In addition to prison time, Hastert was fined $250,000, must spend two years on supervised release after leaving prison, and must register as a sex offender.
Hastert had a long, successful political career which culminated in serving as Speaker of the House of Representatives for longer than any Republican. Hastert was also long associated with the sport of wrestling. In addition to working as a high school wrestling coach from 1965 to 1981, Hastert was often seen at significant events such as the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships and the Midlands post-Christmas tournament held at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. outside Chicago.
Since the original allegations first surfaced, Hastert had been stripped of a number of honors. His name was taken off a major high school tournament in his hometown, and was removed from a building at Wheaton College, his alma mater in suburban Chicago where he wrestled in the mid-1960s. After sentencing, Hastert became the first inductee to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame to be removed in the 40-year history of the Stillwater, Okla. facility honoring amateur wrestlers. In 2000 Hastert had been welcomed into the Hall as an Outstanding American.
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