Teacher's Sexual Abuse Of Student Prompts Lawsuit Against Chester School

CHESTER, NJ — The mother of a former Chester middle schooler is suing the school district after her child was sexually harassed by a teacher.

On Oct. 20, 2025, Black River Middle School science teacher Lorri A. Willis was arrested after an investigation found that between June 2024 and October 2025, she sent several "sexual and suggestive" text messages to her 13-year-old student, police said.

The recently filed suit claims the abuse took place for an even longer period of time, from when the child was 11 to 14 years old.

The suit adds that Willis' "unlawful activities and grooming behaviors" began and continued while the student was at Black River, and while they were being homeschooled.

Willis, 45, from Hackettstown, was initially charged with luring and endangering the welfare of a child, but the luring charge has been dropped, court documents show. She was ordered to pre-trial detention on Oct. 30, 2025, before her guilty plea in December.

School officials announced that she was "released from all her duties” shortly after her arrest. She also relinquished her teaching certificates following her arrest.

In March, Willis was sentenced to three years in state prison on Thursday, prosecutors told Patch. When released, she will be subject to parole supervision for life, will be restricted from having any contact with the victim, and will be permanently banned from teaching in New Jersey.

Now, months after Willis' sentencing, the victim's mother is suing the Chester School District, the Board of Education, Black River Middle School, and Willis herself.

According to the suit, school officials should have known that Willis "was a danger to children before she engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct and sexual abuse" with the victim.

The suit also claims that it is the school district's responsibility to keep its students safe, and by employing Willis, it failed to fulfill that responsibility.

The suit makes several claims of negligence with regard to the school, district, and its BOE.

It also names Willis herself, making claims of assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The student's mother is seeking compensatory, pecuniary, and punitive damages, along with costs of suit and attorneys' fees.

Patch has reached out to Chester School District officials for comment, who were not immediately available.