Latest news with #Homewood-FlossmoorHighSchoolDistrict233
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Yahoo
Homewood-Flossmoor High School student dies in post-prom crash on I-94 ramp
A Homewood-Flossmoor High School senior was killed in a single-car crash on the Bishop Ford Freeway in Calumet City early Sunday. Illinois State Police said Monday they found Tom Mya Lyons, 18, on the Sibley Boulevard ramp northbound to Interstate 94 around 4:30 a.m., and she was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. She was the sole passenger in the vehicle. No further information was immediately available, police said. The crash followed Homewood-Flossmoor High School's prom with the theme A Night of Enchanted Elegance at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago that lasted from 8 p.m. to midnight, according to the school's website. 'Tom Mya was more than just a student — she was a vibrant member of our community, a loyal friend, a dedicated classmate, a committed teammate and a positive presence throughout Homewood-Flossmoor High School,' Principal Clinton Alexander said in a statement. 'Her energy, kindness and spirit touched the lives of many, and her absence will be deeply felt by us all.' A Homewood-Flossmoor High School District 233 statement said Lyons was a dedicated member of the school's step dance team, which ended its season with a first place win in their division last month. 'Let this time of sorrow bring us even closer as a school community. In moments like these, it is more important than ever to take care of ourselves and one another,' Alexander said in the statement. The district said members of its crisis team will be available to help students and staff who are grieving or otherwise struggling with the loss of Lyons. Support will be available in each of Tom Mya's classes Monday and Tuesday, the district said. There will also be designated spaces in both the high school's buildings for crisis team members to meet with students. ostevens@
Chicago Tribune
05-05-2025
- Chicago Tribune
Homewood-Flossmoor High School student dies in post-prom crash on I-94 ramp
A Homewood-Flossmoor High School senior was killed in a single-car crash on the Bishop Ford Freeway in Calumet City early Sunday. Illinois State Police said Monday they found Tom Mya Lyons, 18, on the Sibley Boulevard ramp northbound to Interstate 94 around 4:30 a.m., and she was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. She was the sole passenger in the vehicle. No further information was immediately available, police said. The crash followed Homewood-Flossmoor High School's prom with the theme A Night of Enchanted Elegance at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago that lasted from 8 p.m. to midnight, according to the school's website. 'Tom Mya was more than just a student — she was a vibrant member of our community, a loyal friend, a dedicated classmate, a committed teammate and a positive presence throughout Homewood-Flossmoor High School,' Principal Clinton Alexander said in a statement. 'Her energy, kindness and spirit touched the lives of many, and her absence will be deeply felt by us all.' A Homewood-Flossmoor High School District 233 statement said Lyons was a dedicated member of the school's step dance team, which ended its season with a first place win in their division last month. 'Let this time of sorrow bring us even closer as a school community. In moments like these, it is more important than ever to take care of ourselves and one another,' Alexander said in the statement. The district said members of its crisis team will be available to help students and staff who are grieving or otherwise struggling with the loss of Lyons. Support will be available in each of Tom Mya's classes Monday and Tuesday, the district said. There will also be designated spaces in both the high school's buildings for crisis team members to meet with students.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Yahoo
Cook County student who reported sexual assault settles lawsuit with school district for $3.5M
The Brief A $3.5 million settlement has been awarded to Amayah Blair and her mother, Jessica Johnson, in a lawsuit against Homewood-Flossmoor High School District. Blair reported being sexually assaulted at school in 2022 and alleged that the school failed to provide timely notification or medical assistance. The case sparked multiple student walkouts, and Blair has since chosen to publicly speak out about the incident. COOK COUNTY - A years-long legal battle between a Homewood-Flossmoor High School student and the school district has ended with a $3.5 million settlement. The lawsuit stemmed from allegations that the school failed to act appropriately after the student reported being sexually assaulted on campus in 2022. What we know Amayah Blair and her mother, Jessica Johnson, sued Homewood-Flossmoor High School District 233, claiming the school did not notify Johnson for over an hour after Blair reported being assaulted just before 9 a.m. during her first period theater class. They also alleged that Blair was not given medical assistance at school before she was taken to the hospital. The incident led to multiple student walkouts in support of Blair, as well as broader calls for action against sexual violence in schools. On Tuesday, Blair spoke publicly about her experience. "It's hard, you know? Having to try to explain yourself about something that happened to you, have people who don't believe you, have people who don't want to hear you, and it's overwhelming," she said. "On school property, outside of school property, not even just women, men too, you know? It happens and it shouldn't." According to Johnson, surveillance footage captured the male student following Blair into a room, though no cameras recorded what happened inside. Johnson previously told FOX 32 that her daughter resisted advances and repeatedly said "no" before being attacked. "She said that he was trying to touch her. She kept slapping his hands, telling him 'no, I don't like you like that. No'. And he grabbed her and slammed her on the floor, raped her and to the point where she was crying, and he was laughing," Johnson said. On March 18, Blair and Johnson reached a $3.5 million settlement with the district, three years after the lawsuit was filed. The other side The Homewood-Flossmoor Board of Education defended the school's response, stating in part: "The Board continues to believe that our administrators, teachers, and staff responded swiftly and appropriately in the best interests of all the students involved in this situation… We remain committed to transparency, compassion, learning, and student well-being." Additionally, the settlement does not admit any wrongdoing or fault by the school district or its staff. What's next Blair has chosen to come forward despite state laws allowing her to remain anonymous. She continues to speak out against sexual violence, emphasizing that sexual assault affects both women and men. The Source The information in this article was provided by Amayah Blair and her mother, Jessica Johnson, and obtained from a statement issued by the Homewood-Flossmoor Board of Education and previous FOX 32 reporting.
