File Photo – Great Wolf Lodge in Gurnee | Photo: Google Street View

A family is suing Great Wolf Lodge in Gurnee after they say an employee exposed himself and performed an act on himself in front of their 10-year-old child while at the resort.

The lawsuit was filed by the mother of a boy, whose identities were sealed from the court record, in Cook County Circuit Court and names Great Wolf Lodge as the defendant.

Attorney Samantha Papagianis with Dudley & Lake, a Libertyville-based law firm, said her clients made reservations to stay at Great Wolf Lodge in Gurnee in April.

Papagianis said the family traveled a far distance with excitement for their waterpark adventure before “joy turned to sorrow.”

Great Wolf Lodge employee Sergey Serenchenko, 42, allegedly fondled himself in front of the family’s 10-year-old boy “for his sexual gratification and pleasure” on April 20, Papagianis said.

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The lawsuit complaint said the incident happened in a restroom at the resort and Serenchenko was in the public restroom when the boy entered.

The complaint said Serenchenko exposed his penis to the child, told his penis to “calm down,” made sexual noise and fondled himself while looking at the child.

The child suffered fear, trauma, anxiety and emotional distress, the suit said.

The Gurnee Police Department was notified but court records show Serenchenko has not been charged.

Papagianis said management told police that they had prior write-ups involving Serenchenko for inappropriate behavior.

The lawsuit alleges that Great Wolf Lodge wrongfully retained Serenchenko as an employee when it “knew or should have known” that he was a sexual predator and “lacked control over his sexual impulses.”

Papagianis said her law firm is investigating whether the company retained Serenchenko, despite prior complaints, in order to “reap tax benefits” for employing a disabled person.

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Six months prior to the incident occurring, an order of protection was filed against Serenchenko by a different child.

A spokesperson for Great Wolf Lodge confirmed to Lake and McHenry County Scanner that Serenchenko, who passed a criminal background check when he was hired, is no longer employed by the company.

“The safety and wellbeing of our guests is always paramount, so when notified of this alleged incident, we immediately involved local law enforcement and fully cooperated with their investigation,” Great Wolf Lodge said in a statement.

“Every prospective employee, including the former employee listed in the complaint, is required to pass a criminal background check before being hired. As this involves ongoing litigation, we are unable to comment further at this time,” the statement said.