73-Year-Old Catholic Charities Volunteer Sued For Allegedly Punching 5-Year-Old In Face

A 73-year-old Catholic Charities daycare volunteer was slapped with a lawsuit by the mother of a 5-year-old she allegedly slugged in the face.

Lillie Stephen was charged with misdemeanor battery at the time of the alleged May incident at the Felman Center on South Des Plaines Street. She is scheduled to stand trial for her criminal case in January.

The mother of the 5-year-old, Shakelah Jamison, 27, sued Stephen on behalf of her son. The lawsuit, which was filed in Will County court, also names Catholic Charities as a defendant.

Prior to the punch, the 5-year-old, identified only as “S.J.,” was “playing with a toy he was waving back and forth in the air,” the suit said.

Stephen “yelled at S.J. ‘Don’t,’” the lawsuit said, “and then struck S.J. in the forehead/face with her fist.”

The child’s grandmother, Carolyn Bridges, called the cops on Stephen, which led to her arrest, the suit said.

Jamison is looking for at least $500,000 in punitive and compensatory damages.