A hearing Tuesday morning before Judge Michael Otto took about five minutes regarding the lawsuit alleging sexual assault by an employee of the Morrison Security Corporation.
After both sides said more time was needed, Judge Otto told them to return at 10:30 a.m. Oct. 9 in Room 2208 at the Daley Center in downtown Chicago.
Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison, of Palos Park, who owns the company, did not attend Tuesday’s hearing.
Last week, he issued a statement on the lawsuit, which we are publishing in full on page 4.
In that statement, he said, “A lawsuit has been filed against my company, not against me personally. Because I am the principal of Morrison Security, political opponents are trying to spin this into a personal and political attack. This is politics at its worst, twisting facts to smear an elected official Is nothing new.
“The claim itself is meritless, ladened with inaccurate facts and unrelated to my exemplary record of public service. Its intent is clear: generate headlines, pressure a cash settlement, and weaponize the courts for political gain. This is not the first time I have faced such despicable tactics, and I suspect it won’t be the last. But false attacks come and go, results endure.”
In the lawsuit, Morrison’s company was charged with negligent retention and supervision, alleging the company ignored prior warnings about employee Andrew Holmes’ inappropriate behaviour toward minors.
According to the complaint, Holmes gained the trust of Asha Gant, then 16, during a 2014 rescue operation conducted by Morrison’s company. He later allegedly forced her to perform oral sex before raping her at a motel in 2015.
Morrison was represented by attorney Kristy K. Singler of the law firm Downey & Lenkov. Attorney Danielle Lay, of the law firm Schwartz/Jambois, is representing Gant.