A Kendall County teenager who says he was arrested and jailed over a sarcastic classroom comment is now suing his former high school principal, teacher and a sheriff’s deputy in federal court.
Jackson Leggett, now 19, filed the lawsuit against Newark Community High School District 18, Principal and Superintendent Timothy Ulrich, teacher Camille Quillen and the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office, claiming a classroom joke following senior pranks escalated into a felony criminal case that turned his life upside down.
According to the lawsuit, the incident happened in October 2024 after Leggett and other students took part in annual “senior pranks,” including toilet-papering the principal’s home and placing boats in the school parking lot.
The lawsuit claims Ulrich was aware of the pranks and told students they could proceed as long as there was no permanent damage.
The following day, students were discussing the prank in class when Leggett allegedly made a sarcastic comment.
“I said, ‘What do you think I’m going to do? Burn the school down?’” Leggett told NBC 5 during an interview. “A sarcastic comment based off the rumors that the school made up about me.”
Leggett said he initially received a three-day suspension and thought the matter was over.
Instead, he says he was arrested the next day while mowing lawns for his landscaping business.
“Two officers come and pull me off the mower and arrest me,” Leggett said. “I had no idea.”
The lawsuit alleges the school and sheriff’s deputy improperly escalated what should have been a disciplinary issue into a criminal case. Attorneys for Leggett claim Quillen admitted the comments were made jokingly, while Deputy Stewart Blouin allegedly acknowledged during recorded interviews that he did not initially believe the situation was criminal.
“We are alleging that the school took a minor disciplinary matter and, for reasons that we do not understand at this point, decided to turn it into a criminal prosecution of a child,” attorney Julia Rickert said.
Leggett was charged with felony disorderly conduct and spent eight days inside a juvenile detention facility before eventually being released. He says the experience continues to haunt him.
“The absolute worst experience I’ve ever experienced in my life,” Leggett said. “The eight days, it doesn’t go away. There’s a lot of things I remember that I don’t want to remember.”
The federal complaint alleges Leggett was then forced to attend classes remotely for the rest of his senior year and was prohibited from returning to school in person. He says he missed basketball season, prom and graduation.
“I was never allowed to do any sports, attend prom,” Leggett said. “I wasn’t even allowed to attend my graduation with my other classmates.”
The lawsuit also claims Leggett was labeled a “clear and present danger,” which attorneys say has prevented him from obtaining a Firearm Owner’s Identification card, despite the charges later being dropped.
In a statement to NBC 5, the Kendall County Sheriff’s Office said the department conducts “thorough, comprehensive investigations” and that arrests are based on probable cause.
Ulrich also denied wrongdoing, saying the claims against the district and its employees are “meritless.”
The lawsuit includes allegations of malicious prosecution, civil conspiracy and constitutional rights violations. Leggett is seeking monetary damages.
