Ex-Providence Catholic Hockey Player Bullied, Sexually Harassed: Suit

NEW LENOX, IL — The father of a former Providence Catholic student and hockey player is suing the school for more than $1 million, alleging that his son was the target of bullying and sexual harassment at the hands of his former teammates over a five-month period that led him to attempt to take his own life last year.

The suit, filed last month in Will County, names the plaintiffs as John Doe and John Doe 2, as well as several Providence Catholic administrators — including President Fr. John Merkelis, Dean of Students Keith Healy, school principal Paul Houston and others, including the Joliet Diocese of the Augustinian Order, which runs the school, as defendants.

The lawsuit claims that the former student was “incessantly bullied and sexually harassed” by fellow Providence Catholic students and, in particular, members of the school’s hockey team. The attorney for the family, Steven Glink, wrote that the alleged bullying and sexual harassment became so severe that the former student attempted to end his own life and required psychiatric hospitalization.

"We were saddened to learn that a lawsuit was recently filed against Providence by a former student and his father regarding allegations of misconduct related to our hockey program," Merkelis said in a statement released by the school. "I wish to assure all in the community that if an investigation reveals that any student is subject to harassment, Providence will take swift action to ensure it stops and immediately discipline all wrongdoers. Our prayers are with all who are involved in this matter."

The lawsuit was filed a month after the school and the Augustinian Order settled with another former student for $2 million over allegations that he was raped by a former priest, Rev. Richard McGrath.

The suit maintains that the student left Providence Catholic and enrolled in a public high school to avoid further bullying. Also named as defendants in the suit are Nick Iaciancio, Kevin Oliver, Kris Vandenberg, Len Endling and Colton Endling, all of whom were coaches with the hockey program at the time.

According to the hockey team's website, Iaciancio is listed as the varsity hockey coach and director, Oliver remains employed as a varsity assistant coach while Vandenberg is listed as the junior varsity head coach.

The lawsuit alleges that while the former student was a part of Providence Catholic’s hockey team, he was verbally harassed for more than five months, during which time his teammates blamed him for the team’s poor play and repeatedly made fun of his injuries.

The lawsuit also maintains that the former player’s teammates pretended to urinate on his bag several times in one day while other players laughed. The former student and player was repeatedly pushed and shoved, according to the lawsuit, which claimed that the former player was told by other players that he has a “nice ass” and that other players wanted him to “touch their (genitalia).”

The suit claims that the former student’s teammates slid their hands into the student’s pants “under the belt line” while he was at school. All the behavior was reported, the suit claims, to the school’s counselor, Huda Hamden, to the school’s dean, and to Oliver, who was an assistant hockey coach at the time.

In December 2022, a police report was filed with New Lenox police. Investigators spoke to various school officials, who told investigators that the bullying had been reported. Yet, the former student’s parents say, nothing was ever done.

More than 50 complaints were made by the former student’s parents to school administrators in person, over email and by phone, the lawsuit claims, and administrators characterized the behavior as the hockey players “chirping.”

According to the lawsuit, no student was ever suspended for bullying or expelled, even though the school has a policy against bullying.

The former Providence student and hockey player attempted to take his own life a week before Christmas in 2022 and was hospitalized for a week, undergoing counseling and other therapy for three weeks after he was released from the hospital, the suit says.

The lawsuit also alleges breach of contract on the school’s part as well as negligence and willful and wonton conduct as well as violation of the consumer fraud act. In the suit, the former student family maintains that school officials prohibit “certain conduct” by Providence students, including bullying and harassment.

Because of the school’s perceived lack of action, the family of the student has lost more than $65,000 in tuition, books and other costs after the student left the school. Those costs, in addition to the $1 million in damages, are being sought by the former student’s family, according to the lawsuit.