University Of St. Francis Begins 2026 With Lawsuit Involving Dangerous Pitbull Named Blue

JOLIET, IL — A student at the private University of St. Francis in Joliet is suing her university, seeking a judgment in excess of $50,000, in connection with a March attack involving a gray pitbull on the campus. Tamara Yacoub of Tinley Park filed her lawsuit last week at the Will County Courthouse.

Her lawsuit noted that Yacoub was lawfully attending the University of St. Francis and that the subject dog, Blue, was a gray pitbull. On March 12, 2025, Yacoub was peacefully conducting herself at the school when she was attacked and bitten by the dog, Blue, the lawsuit indicated.

The attack occurred in a common area of the university which was available to all students at the school including the plaintiff, according to her law firm, Gordon Gordon & Centracchio.

The lawsuit accuses the University of St. Francis of negligence, noting that the University of St. Francis "owed a duty to enforce campus policies and procedures regarding animals ... the defendant by and through its unknown agents and or employees, knew or should have known that allowing the aforementioned dog, Blue, onto the premises was dangerous and could cause injury to those lawfully on the premises and specifically the plaintiff ..."

The University of St. Francis failed to enforce its policies regarding pets, failed to adequately monitor the school grounds, failed to adequately protect students and guests from unrestrained animals, allowed for an animal to be on school grounds, allowed an unrestrained animal on school grounds and failed to provide students with a safe place to study, the lawsuit outlined.

The lawsuit claims the University of St. Francis failed to provide students with a safe place to attend school and failed to warn students and guests that an unleashed dog was on the school grounds. The lawsuit indicated that USF also "allowed a guest of the university to bring a pet onto school grounds" and "was otherwise careless and negligent."

As for the plaintiff, Yacoub suffered severe and permanent injuries, physical and mental pain and suffering, and loss of normal life, her lawyers noted. The lawsuit maintains that their client "was obligated to spent large sums of money for medical care and attention and was otherwise deprived of great gains which she would have made and acquired as a result of said injuries."

Attorney Marshall J. Walker was the lawyer filing last week's lawsuit on behalf of Gordon Gordon & Centracchio. At the time of the lawsuit, the Chicago-based law firm also issued a subpoena to the Joliet Police Department seeking access to a complete and unredacted police report of the dog attack from March 12, 2025.