Doe v. Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois et al
| John Doe |
| Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, Alexander Vickery-Holland, Mariah N Young and Charles Lee Isbell, Jr |
| 2:2026cv02104 |
| April 9, 2026 |
| U.S. District Court for the Central District of Illinois |
| Colleen R Lawless |
| Eric I Long |
| Civil Rights: Other |
| 42 U.S.C. § 1983 Civil Rights Act |
| Plaintiff |
Docket Report
RSS Track this Docket
This docket was last retrieved on April 24, 2026. A more recent docket listing may be available from PACER.
| Document Text |
|---|
Filing 26
TEXT ORDER entered by Judge Colleen R. Lawless on 4/24/2026: After the Court denied Plaintiff's Motion to Proceed Under Pseudonym, the Court directed Plaintiff to indicate within 7 days whether he wished to proceed under his real name or voluntarily dismiss the action under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 41(a). (Text Order entered 4/21/2026). Plaintiff's Motion to Voluntarily Dismiss (Doc. #25 ) is GRANTED. Accordingly, this case is DISMISSED without prejudice. The Clerk is directed to close this case. (JPL)
|
| Filing 25 MOTION to Voluntarily Dismiss without Prejudice by Plaintiff John Doe. Responses due by 5/7/2026. (JPL) |
| Filing 24 NOTICE: Plaintiff's Notice Correcting the Record and Reserving Rights Following the Court's April 21, 2026 Text Order. (FDS) |
|
Filing 23
TEXT ORDER entered by Judge Colleen R. Lawless on 4/22/26: Defendant Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois filed a Response in Opposition to Plaintiff's Motion to Proceed Under Pseudonym and to File Identify Documents Under Seal (Doc. #21 ). The Response was incorrectly docketed as a sealed motion. The Clerk is directed to unseal the Response and correct the docket entry as described above. (FDS)
|
|
Filing 22
TEXT ORDER entered by Judge Colleen R. Lawless on 4/21/2026: Before the Court is pro se Plaintiff's Motion to Proceed Under Pseudonym and File Documents Under Seal (Doc. #5 ) and Motions to Seal Documents (Docs. #11 and #13 ). Plaintiff requests permission to proceed in this case under the pseudonym "John Doe" and identify the nonparty minor as "Jane Roe." The Court GRANTS the Motions (Docs. #5 , #11 , and #13 ) as to the nonparty minor, who will be referred to as "Jane Roe," and all filings identifying the minor or her personal information must be filed under seal or redacted from public filings. Fed. R. Civ. P. 5.2(a). Furthermore, "there is a strong presumption in favor of requiring adult parties to litigate under their real names in federal court." Doe v. Univ. of S. Ind., No. 24-2245, 2026 U.S. App. LEXIS 10461, at *4 (7th Cir. Apr. 13, 2026) (collecting cases). A party may proceed under a pseudonym if it "can show a 'substantial risk of harmeither physical harm or retaliation by third parties, beyond the reaction legitimately attached to the truth of events as determined in court.'" Id. at *5 (quoting Doe v. Trs. of Ind. Univ., 101 F.4th 485, 491 (7th Cir. 2024)). The Motions (Docs. #5 , #11 , and #13 ) are DENIED as to Plaintiff because he has not shown that disclosure of his real name creates a substantial risk of harm. Doe v. Loyola Univ. Chi., 100 F.4th 910, 913 (7th Cir. 2024) (citing Trs. of Ind. Univ., 101 F.4th at 491). However, Plaintiff's digital identifiers and contact information must be filed under seal or redacted from public filings. In light of the Motion for a Temporary Restraining Order and Preliminary Injunction (Doc. #4 ), Plaintiff is given 7 days from the entry of this order to indicate whether he wishes to proceed under his real name or voluntarily dismiss the action. Fed. R. Civ. P. 41(a)(2). Plaintiff's Motions for Leave to Proceed In Forma Pauperis (Doc. #2 ), to Request Counsel (Doc. #3 ) and for a Temporary Restraining Order and Preliminary Injunction (Doc. #4 ) are DENIED with leave to refile under Plaintiff's real name. Defendant Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois's Motion for Extension of Time to File Response (Doc. #18 ) is DENIED as moot. (JPL)
|
| Filing 21 Response in Opposition to Plaintiff's Motion to Proceed Under Pseudonym and to File Identify Documents Under Seal #5 by Defendant Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. Responses due by 5/4/2026 (Attachments: #1 Affidavit)(Land, Peter) Modified on 4/22/2026 to correct the title of the document pursuant to the 4/22/26 Text Order. (FDS) (Main Document 21 replaced on 4/23/2026) (JS). (Attachment 1 replaced on 4/23/2026) (JS). |
| Filing 20 MOTION for Leave to File Document Under Seal by Defendant Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. Responses due by 5/4/2026 (Land, Peter) |
| Filing 19 RESPONSE to Motion re #13 MOTION to Seal, #11 MOTION to Seal filed by Defendant Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. (Land, Peter) |
| Filing 18 MOTION for Extension of Time to File Response/Reply as to #4 MOTION for Temporary Restraining Order by Defendant Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. Responses due by 5/4/2026 (Land, Peter) |
| Filing 17 NOTICE of Appearance of Attorney by Katherine Tierney on behalf of Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois (Tierney, Katherine) |
| Filing 16 NOTICE of Appearance of Attorney by Gwendolyn Baxter Morales on behalf of Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois (Morales, Gwendolyn) |
| Filing 15 NOTICE of Appearance of Attorney by Peter G Land on behalf of Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois (Land, Peter) |
| Filing 14 NOTICE of Supplemental Evidence in Support of #4 MOTION for Temporary Restraining Order filed by Plaintiff John Doe. (Attachments: #1 Exhibit 17, #2 Exhibit 18)(FDS) |
| Filing 13 MOTION to Seal IDENTIFYING DOCUMENTS PURSUANT TO LOCAL RULE 5.10 by Plaintiff John Doe. Responses due by 4/24/2026 (Attachments: #1 Exhibit 3)(JJK) |
| Filing 8 +++ SEALED DOCUMENT.. (BMG) |
|
Filing 7
TEXT ORDER OF REASSIGNMENT Entered by Chief Judge Colin Stirling Bruce on 4/10/26. This case and the corresponding hearings are reassigned to Judge Colleen R. Lawless for further proceedings. (SKR)
|
|
Filing 6
TEXT ORDER OF RECUSAL Entered by Chief Judge Colin Stirling Bruce on 4/10/26. Chief Judge Colin S. Bruce disqualifies and recuses himself from participation in this matter pursuant to 28 U.S.C. 455(a). (SKR)
|
| Filing 12 Exhibit regarding #3 MOTION to Request Counsel by John Doe. (Attachments: #1 Exhibit, #2 Exhibit)(JJK) |
| Filing 11 MOTION to Seal by Plaintiff John Doe. Responses due by 4/23/2026 (Attachments: #1 Exhibit 01a, #2 Exhibit 01b, #3 Exhibit 01c, #4 Exhibit 01d, #5 Exhibit 01e, #6 Exhibit 02, #7 Exhibit 03, #8 Exhibit 04, #9 Exhibit 05, #10 Exhibit 06, #11 Exhibit 07, #12 Exhibit 08, #13 Exhibit 09, #14 Exhibit 10, #15 Exhibit 11, #16 Exhibit 12, #17 Exhibit 13a, #18 Exhibit 13b, #19 Exhibit 14, #20 Exhibit 15, #21 Exhibit 16)(JJK) |
| Filing 10 NOTICE: PROPOSED SUMMONSES FOR ISSUANCE filed by John Doe (Attachments: #1 Proposed Summons, #2 Proposed Summons, #3 Proposed Summons)(JJK) |
| Filing 9 NOTICE: CIVIL COVER SHEET filed by John Doe (JJK) |
| Filing 5 Plaintiff's MOTION to Proceed Under Pseudonym and to File Documents Under Seal by Plaintiff John Doe. Responses due by 4/23/2026. (BMG) |
| Filing 4 MOTION for Emergency Temporary Restraining Order and Preliminary Injunction by Plaintiff John Doe. Responses due by 4/23/2026. (BMG) |
| Filing 3 MOTION to Request Counsel by Plaintiff John Doe. Responses due by 4/23/2026. (BMG) |
| Filing 2 MOTION for Leave to Proceed in forma pauperis by Plaintiff John Doe. Responses due by 4/23/2026. (BMG) |
| Filing 1 COMPLAINT for Injunctive Relief and Damages against All Defendants, filed by John Doe.(BMG) |
Access additional case information on PACER
Use the links below to access additional information about this case on the U.S. Court's PACER system. A subscription to PACER is required.
Access this case on the Illinois Central District Court's Electronic Court Filings (ECF) System
- Search for Party Aliases
- Associated Cases
- Attorneys
- Case File Location
- Case Summary
- Docket Report
- History/Documents
- Parties
- Related Transactions
- Check Status
Disclaimer: Justia Dockets & Filings provides public litigation records from the federal appellate and district courts. These filings and docket sheets should not be considered findings of fact or liability, nor do they necessarily reflect the view of Justia.
