MANHATTAN, IL — In a federal lawsuit riddled with twists and turns, a former Manhattan District 114 employee has accused former leadership of discrimination based on rejected sexual propositions, sexual trysts and a denied promotion. The suit comes 10 months after the district’s superintendent and HR director abruptly resigned.
Attorneys for former employee Susana Lukaszek filed the suit Dec. 9, alleging that Lukaszek endured a “severe and pervasive hostile work environment” created in part by a sexual relationship between former Superintendent Russell “Rusty” Ragon and Director of HR Chris Ruddy.
The lawsuit names Ragon, Ruddy and all members of the Manhattan District 114 Board of Education spanning from Dec. 1, 2020 through Feb. 29, 2024.
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In the suit, Lukaszek states that she was hired in 2020 as the district’s payroll and benefits coordinator, with the implication the role would lead to a promotion to human resources director, with Ragon as her supervisor. Ragon then “consistently propositioned” Lukaszek for sexual acts “at the workplace, sex in automobiles, sex in hotels and sex at various other locations,” the lawsuit claims. Lukaszek consistently rejected the unwanted advances, the lawsuit said.
Ragon also “on a near daily basis” subjected her to “unwanted sexually graphic and lewd banter,” the suit claims.
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He showed her “sexually explicit photographs and videos,” in addition to commenting on her and other employees “in a lewd and sexual manner,” and airing “his sexual frustrations and recounting his sexual escapades with other women to her,” the lawsuit alleges.
That lawsuit claims that after she repeatedly denied his advances, Ragon then instead hired for the director of HR position Christine Ruddy—with whom he was allegedly already having a romantic relationship—”so that he could engage in sexual relations and sexual banter in the workplace.”
In early March 2022, Ragon asked the District 114 Board of Education to approve the posting of an opening for Director of HR/PD/Communications. Two weeks later, Ruddy’s hiring was approved effective July 1, 2022, “at a salary substantially higher than Plaintiff’s salary,” the suit states.
The lawsuit alleges that Ragon continued his advances toward Lukaszek, often inviting her to participate in sexual acts with himself and Ruddy. Ragon reportedly sent explicit images of himself and Ruddy engaged in sexual acts, the lawsuit claims.
The suit also states that other board members made lewd jokes and remarks in Lukaszek’s presence, creating an “objectively intolerable and subjectively intolerable” workplace. She resigned in November 2022, effective in January 2023. When receiving her letter of resignation, she alleges Ragon asked if she would revise it and say “how much of a ‘stud’ he was.”
Sexual advances continued through Jan. 3, 2023, the lawsuit alleges. The conduct was “extreme and outrageous,” and “beyond objectively offensive,” the suit says.
“The sexually and sex-based offensive conduct experienced by Plaintiff was unwanted, extreme, outrageous, severe and pervasive to the extent it altered the conditions of Plaintiff’s employment and created an abusive working environment,” the suit reads.
Lukaszek filed a complaint with the Illinois Department of Human Rights and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in October 2023. After being issued notice of the complaint, Ragon is alleged to have destroyed material evidence connected to the claim—an act of which the lawsuit alleges board members were aware.
Ragon and Ruddy both abruptly resigned in February 2024, with little reason offered to families. Ragon had been superintendent for nearly 11 years.
On Wednesday, Manhattan District 114 responded to the lawsuit.
“Our District fosters an inclusive learning environment for our students and working environment for our employees,” Manhattan District 114 Board President John Burke said. “Discrimination and harassment of students and employees is simply not tolerated.
“The allegations raised by this former employee were first made to the Board of Education through a charge filed in the EEOC over nine months from her last day of employment. Prior to the filing of that charge, she never complained to the Board of Education or any of its members about her employment or any of the allegations outlined in the lawsuit.
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“Her resignation letter did not raise these concerns either and, instead, stated that she was ‘very grateful for the opportunity’ to work in the District and that she ‘will cherish the bonds [she] made over [her] two-year tenure.’ Once the EEOC charge was received, the Board promptly directed its legal counsel to begin an investigation into the former employee’s allegations to ensure that an appropriate workplace environment for all employees was maintained.
“As this matter is in litigation, the Board of Education will not be making further comment on the specifics of this case.”
Ruddy—who filed a sexual discrimination lawsuit against the district and Ragon in August 2024 —is said to have provided proof of the sexual relationship when pressed about Lukaszek’s complaint. In her lawsuit, Ruddy alleges she was forced to resign in response to their relationship, while Ragon was allowed to retire.
Lukaszek is seeking actual damages for declaratory relief, backpay, loss of wages and benefits, and attorney’s fees.
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