chicagosun-times--2020-06-24--Racist nicknames, throwing chairs and belittling parents: CPS ousts principal for ‘indefensibly unpr

Racist nicknames, throwing chairs and belittling parents: CPS ousts principal for ‘indefensibly unprofessional and unsafe’ behavior

Racist nicknames for staff members , chair throwing , questionable handling of a special education program , harsh treatment of parents and an alternate experience for Black families combined to create a toxic environment at a top-rated elementary school under the leadership of a principal who resigned late last week , according to new details uncovered by a Chicago Public Schools investigation .
The district probe was prompted by a school cafeteria worker ’ s March concussion at the hands of the principal , Kurt Jones , who threw a water bottle that hit her in the face .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just one of countless uncomfortable , unprofessional and sometimes dangerous actions by Jones , according to interviews with three dozen parents and current and former staff members , summaries of which were provided to the Chicago Sun-Times in an investigative report .
Jones stepped down from his role as the principal of Franklin Elementary Fine Arts Center when presented with the findings of a CPS investigation that grew in scope as new complaints poured in after a Sun-Times report in early April detailed the lunchroom manager ’ s injuries .
Though the district @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filed their report May 10 , Jones was on the job all along , resigning last Friday , the day after the school year ended .
Asked why Jones was still at work three months after the lunchroom worker 's injury and a month after the CPS report was finalized , spokeswoman Emily Bolton said there are several steps after an investigation is over before discipline is handed out .
`` In this case , the district conducted an initial discipline conference , followed by a discipline committee review and a legal review @ @ @ @ @ @ @ facts presented in the investigative report and develop a discipline recommendation , '' she wrote in an emailed statement .
`` After those steps took place , it was determined that a change in school leadership was necessary to promote a healthy school climate for all students and staff . ''
CPS would have fired Jones from the job that paid him more than $ 152,000 if he had n't resigned , Bolton said .
District investigators said they substantiated eight distinct disciplinary charges , each comprised of numerous allegations , and wrote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself in a “ categorically unprofessional ” manner , taking part in “ indefensibly unprofessional and unsafe ” behavior and caused some staff members of color “ various feelings of harassment , discrimination and humiliation.
” Three other conduct charges were referred to different CPS departments for further investigation .
None of the allegations in the report are criminal in nature .
The Chicago Police Department is conducting its own investigation of the cafeteria worker ’ s injuries , which all parties acknowledge was caused by Jones ’ throwing of a water bottle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ three conversations between Jones and CPS investigators , the former principal offered a defense of his actions : He denied any racist intent behind his comments ; ascribed some of his behavior to playful attempts to build relationships with his staff , and held that his interactions with parents that were perceived as condescending or patronizing were the result of his aim to fulfill his responsibilities as an administrator and educator .
Jones did , however , acknowledge several incidents were true as alleged , while trying to explain his harmless intent .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at Libby Elementary on the South Side from 2007 to 2016 .
Reached by text this week , Jones , who has been consulting an attorney , said , “ My life has been dedicated to the education of students in the City of Chicago .
There are often many sides to a story .
Soon , I will be sharing my side of the story.
” Racist nicknames for staff and threats to call DCFS Jones regularly called Black and Latino teachers and staff racist nicknames , according to several school employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ target of the epithets or heard them used by Jones .
That included calling Black staff members “ Aunt Jemima , ” witnesses alleged , a phrase based on racist origins from a minstrel show performer .
Other nicknames reportedly used included “ chicken wing , ” “ watermelon , ” “ Bonquita , ” “ burrito boy ” and “ KFC , ” according to witness accounts detailed in the district report .
Jones , speaking to investigators , denied ever using the phrase “ Aunt Jemima.
” He told the district @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school support staff who spent time together at work , the report said .
The employees all gave themselves nicknames based on their ethnicity , such as “ taco enchilada , ” Jones told investigators .
The nickname “ chicken wing , ” meanwhile , was an inside joke between Jones and a Black colleague because they ordered food from Harold ’ s Chicken together , he said , adding that none of the terms he used were ever meant in a derogatory or racial manner .
In an interview with investigators , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ elected Local School Council said the LSC had previously received an allegation that Jones is “ racially biased.
” The LSC member said he spoke with Jones about the complaint at the time , and the principal was “ open and receptive ” to the conversation .
But the parent said he did notice Jones “ code-switching ” when talking to parents of different races .
Another parent said Jones used an alternate “ tone or slang ” with Black mothers , including using “ girl ” or “ sister ” instead of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Franklin is a magnet school in Old Town , accepting students from anywhere in the city through a lottery system .
Nearly half of the school ’ s 360 students are Black , while more than a quarter are white and the rest mostly Latino and Asian .
A Black mother who spoke with the district said she felt singled out by Jones because of her race , according to investigators .
She told CPS that Jones “ harasses ” parents about being late to drop off their children in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , condescending and offensive ” manner .
A different Black mother said Jones has threatened to report her to DCFS for being 15 minutes late to pick up her child after school , and has claimed he filed a police report against her , according to CPS .
In one incident , she alleged the principal had security escort her out of the building because she walked in with a cellphone in her hand instead of tucked away , the investigative report said .
Another mother told investigators Jones threatened to report her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many days of school .
Jones acknowledged in his interview with investigators that he has told parents he would call DCFS to report them .
He gave two instances , one of which was for a student ’ s repeated absences and tardies , and another because a parent was “ badgering ” and “ berating ” their child .
Though Jones told investigators he believed he was following CPS policy by doing so , Bolton said `` mandated reporters would call DCFS if they believed a child ’ s absence or chronic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but that was not the case in this instance . ''
Several teachers , staff members and parents told the district Jones also joked about employees ’ ages , calling some teachers “ grandma ” and “ grandpa , ” and saying they were “ too expensive , ” investigators said .
Teachers and staff also reported being called a “ dizzy ho ” by Jones , a phrase he claimed he only used with close friends and was harmless .
Those allegations , in part , showed Jones ’ behavior and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ environment for teachers and staff at Franklin , the district investigation found .
The district received numerous allegations that Jones disrupted special education services at the school , according to the investigative report .
Under Jones ’ tenure at Franklin , the school went from 14 % of students in special education to 9.8 % — a shift Jones attributes to the graduation of children in the program — and reduced staff from eight special education classroom assistants when he first arrived to three this year .
The parents of one student said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too smart ” for an Individualized Education Program ( IEP ) , a federally enforced legal document unique to each special education student that lays out exactly what types of services the child needs throughout a school year .
When that student started receiving poor grades , Jones told the parents that “ sometimes that happens , ” the CPS report said .
A Franklin teacher told investigators that Jones put out a directive to reduce IEP minutes at the school , meaning students would receive less special education instruction time .
Franklin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Jones tried to discourage her from sending her special needs child to the school .
Jones said in his interview with investigators that he didn ’ t want students with IEPs to be stigmatized by requiring an adult to “ hover over ” them the whole school day .
Jones told the district he “ cleaned up ” all the IEPs and credited the school ’ s assistant principal for writing and implementing them “ correctly.
” He added that several parents of special education students are “ out for him.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and referred them for further investigation .
Several parents and teachers interviewed by investigators said Jones ’ general behavior around families was inappropriate , according to the report .
Multiple people reported seeing Jones pull or play with students ’ hair , hug them and rub their necks or back , the report said .
A staff member at the school told investigators she saw Jones grab a Black kindergartner by either the shirt collar or back of the neck .
And two people said Jones had an eighth grade student carry him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broken glass on the floor , according to investigators .
Several parents said they either heard Jones or were told by their kids that Jones , who is gay , routinely refers to himself using a homophobic slur , the report said .
Investigators said they referred some of those complaints to CPS ’ Office of Inspector General , which since 2018 has handled all cases that fall under the wide umbrella of alleged sexual misconduct by adults against students .
That can include anything from sexual assault to texting , “ grooming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” behavior by adults , according to CPS policy .
Jones ’ interactions with parents , meanwhile , made many of them feel belittled , according to interviews with more than a dozen parents who spoke to CPS about their concerns .
The former principal frequently yelled at parents in front of their own children and other parents , teachers and students , several parents told the district , including admonishing them for using cellphone cameras at school shows .
Two parents said Jones gave them trouble when trying to deal with their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mother said he wouldn ’ t let her into the school to give her kid an EpiPen , then was difficult to deal with when he eventually let her inside .
Another mother said Jones scolded her when she would pick up her child , who has medical issues , for doctor appointments , refusing to let her into the building and telling her to schedule appointments in the evening and on weekends .
Another parent told investigators they shared negative feedback about Jones at an LSC meeting , and he responded with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my Kindergartners , ” the report said .
Some LSC members interviewed by the district painted a more neutral picture of Jones ’ actions , saying they never saw his alleged behavior themselves , and explained that some accusations have been overblown .
One LSC parent representative said Jones is stern and focuses on student safety .
Two others said they ’ re aware of parent complaints about Jones ’ unprofessional behavior , but attributed those feelings to the principal ’ s tone of voice rather than his actions being inappropriate .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ led to the lunchroom worker ’ s concussion , district investigators found Jones ’ admission that he threw the bottle to be enough evidence that he violated his duties as a CPS employee .
Even by Jones ’ own account , he was playing a “ game of dodgeball ” with his staff inside the school , which investigators deemed “ an unsanctioned and irrelevant activity ” that ended with the injury of one of his employees .
That was part of a pattern of conduct by the former principal , including throwing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that was “ categorically unprofessional , especially when considering Principal Jones ’ hierarchical position within Franklin , ” the CPS report said .
Jones admitted to investigators that he was the man shown in a video of a December 2018 incident in which he dropped a metal chair from a second-floor balcony in Franklin ’ s lunchroom .
He said he was trying to startle some of his employees , part of his attempt to create a lighthearted , fun atmosphere and build relationships .
Investigators acknowledged in their report that Jones was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incident .
But they added that Jones went on to admit he had dropped metal chairs from the balcony five to 10 times in his tenure at Franklin .
A teacher told the district she also saw Jones throw a metal chair or garbage can into a classroom , scaring the students and teacher , the report said .
Jones said he never threw a chair into a classroom , but couldn ’ t remember if he tossed a garbage can , according to the report .

Racist nicknames for staff members, chair throwing, questionable handling of a special education program, harsh treatment of parents and an alternate experience for Black families combined to create a toxic environment at a top-rated elementary school under the leadership of a principal who resigned late last week, according to new details uncovered by a Chicago Public Schools investigation.
The district probe was prompted by a school cafeteria worker’s March concussion at the hands of the principal, Kurt Jones, who threw a water bottle that hit her in the face. But the investigation revealed the incident to be just one of countless uncomfortable, unprofessional and sometimes dangerous actions by Jones, according to interviews with three dozen parents and current and former staff members, summaries of which were provided to the Chicago Sun-Times in an investigative report.
Jones stepped down from his role as the principal of Franklin Elementary Fine Arts Center when presented with the findings of a CPS investigation that grew in scope as new complaints poured in after a Sun-Times report in early April detailed the lunchroom manager’s injuries. Though the district completed its investigation May 1 and investigators filed their report May 10, Jones was on the job all along, resigning last Friday, the day after the school year ended.
Asked why Jones was still at work three months after the lunchroom worker's injury and a month after the CPS report was finalized, spokeswoman Emily Bolton said there are several steps after an investigation is over before discipline is handed out.
"In this case, the district conducted an initial discipline conference, followed by a discipline committee review and a legal review panel to carefully consider all of the facts presented in the investigative report and develop a discipline recommendation," she wrote in an emailed statement. "After those steps took place, it was determined that a change in school leadership was necessary to promote a healthy school climate for all students and staff."
CPS would have fired Jones from the job that paid him more than $152,000 if he hadn't resigned, Bolton said.
District investigators said they substantiated eight distinct disciplinary charges, each comprised of numerous allegations, and wrote in an investigative report that Jones conducted himself in a “categorically unprofessional” manner, taking part in “indefensibly unprofessional and unsafe” behavior and caused some staff members of color “various feelings of harassment, discrimination and humiliation.” Three other conduct charges were referred to different CPS departments for further investigation.
None of the allegations in the report are criminal in nature. The Chicago Police Department is conducting its own investigation of the cafeteria worker’s injuries, which all parties acknowledge was caused by Jones’ throwing of a water bottle. That probe is ongoing.
In three conversations between Jones and CPS investigators, the former principal offered a defense of his actions: He denied any racist intent behind his comments, ascribed some of his behavior to playful attempts to build relationships with his staff, and held that his interactions with parents that were perceived as condescending or patronizing were the result of his aim to fulfill his responsibilities as an administrator and educator. Jones did, however, acknowledge several incidents were true as alleged, while trying to explain his harmless intent.
Jones, 46, was previously principal at Libby Elementary on the South Side from 2007 to 2016. Reached by text this week, Jones, who has been consulting an attorney, said, “My life has been dedicated to the education of students in the City of Chicago. There are often many sides to a story. Soon, I will be sharing my side of the story.”
A person jogs past the Franklin Fine Arts Center in the Near North Side on June 23, 2020. Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
Racist nicknames for staff and threats to call DCFS
Jones regularly called Black and Latino teachers and staff racist nicknames, according to several school employees who either told investigators they were the target of the epithets or heard them used by Jones.
That included calling Black staff members “Aunt Jemima,” witnesses alleged, a phrase based on racist origins from a minstrel show performer. Other nicknames reportedly used included “chicken wing,” “watermelon,” “Bonquita,” “burrito boy” and “KFC,” according to witness accounts detailed in the district report.
Jones, speaking to investigators, denied ever using the phrase “Aunt Jemima.” He told the district other nicknames were playfully made up by school support staff who spent time together at work, the report said. The employees all gave themselves nicknames based on their ethnicity, such as “taco enchilada,” Jones told investigators. The nickname “chicken wing,” meanwhile, was an inside joke between Jones and a Black colleague because they ordered food from Harold’s Chicken together, he said, adding that none of the terms he used were ever meant in a derogatory or racial manner.
In an interview with investigators, a parent representative on Franklin’s elected Local School Council said the LSC had previously received an allegation that Jones is “racially biased.” The LSC member said he spoke with Jones about the complaint at the time, and the principal was “open and receptive” to the conversation. But the parent said he did notice Jones “code-switching” when talking to parents of different races.
Another parent said Jones used an alternate “tone or slang” with Black mothers, including using “girl” or “sister” instead of their proper names, the CPS report said.
Franklin is a magnet school in Old Town, accepting students from anywhere in the city through a lottery system. Nearly half of the school’s 360 students are Black, while more than a quarter are white and the rest mostly Latino and Asian.
A Black mother who spoke with the district said she felt singled out by Jones because of her race, according to investigators. She told CPS that Jones “harasses” parents about being late to drop off their children in the morning, speaking in an “off-putting, condescending and offensive” manner.
A different Black mother said Jones has threatened to report her to DCFS for being 15 minutes late to pick up her child after school, and has claimed he filed a police report against her, according to CPS. In one incident, she alleged the principal had security escort her out of the building because she walked in with a cellphone in her hand instead of tucked away, the investigative report said.
Another mother told investigators Jones threatened to report her to DCFS if her child missed too many days of school.
Jones acknowledged in his interview with investigators that he has told parents he would call DCFS to report them. He gave two instances, one of which was for a student’s repeated absences and tardies, and another because a parent was “badgering” and “berating” their child.
Though Jones told investigators he believed he was following CPS policy by doing so, Bolton said "mandated reporters would call DCFS if they believed a child’s absence or chronic tardiness were due to abuse or neglect, but that was not the case in this instance."
Several teachers, staff members and parents told the district Jones also joked about employees’ ages, calling some teachers “grandma” and “grandpa,” and saying they were “too expensive,” investigators said.
Teachers and staff also reported being called a “dizzy ho” by Jones, a phrase he claimed he only used with close friends and was harmless.
Those allegations, in part, showed Jones’ behavior and comments created a “hostile” work environment for teachers and staff at Franklin, the district investigation found.
Special education concerns
The district received numerous allegations that Jones disrupted special education services at the school, according to the investigative report. Under Jones’ tenure at Franklin, the school went from 14% of students in special education to 9.8% — a shift Jones attributes to the graduation of children in the program — and reduced staff from eight special education classroom assistants when he first arrived to three this year.
The parents of one student said Jones told them their child was “too smart” for an Individualized Education Program (IEP), a federally enforced legal document unique to each special education student that lays out exactly what types of services the child needs throughout a school year. When that student started receiving poor grades, Jones told the parents that “sometimes that happens,” the CPS report said.
A Franklin teacher told investigators that Jones put out a directive to reduce IEP minutes at the school, meaning students would receive less special education instruction time.
Franklin parent Ayerim Duenas previously told the Sun-Times that Jones tried to discourage her from sending her special needs child to the school.
Jones said in his interview with investigators that he didn’t want students with IEPs to be stigmatized by requiring an adult to “hover over” them the whole school day. Jones told the district he “cleaned up” all the IEPs and credited the school’s assistant principal for writing and implementing them “correctly.” He added that several parents of special education students are “out for him.”
CPS made no findings on the allegations and referred them for further investigation.
A picture hangs on the fence of the Franklin Fine Arts Center in Old Town on June 23, 2020. Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
Hair pulling and inappropriate language
Several parents and teachers interviewed by investigators said Jones’ general behavior around families was inappropriate, according to the report.
Multiple people reported seeing Jones pull or play with students’ hair, hug them and rub their necks or back, the report said. A staff member at the school told investigators she saw Jones grab a Black kindergartner by either the shirt collar or back of the neck. And two people said Jones had an eighth grade student carry him through a school hallway because there was broken glass on the floor, according to investigators.
Several parents said they either heard Jones or were told by their kids that Jones, who is gay, routinely refers to himself using a homophobic slur, the report said.
Investigators said they referred some of those complaints to CPS’ Office of Inspector General, which since 2018 has handled all cases that fall under the wide umbrella of alleged sexual misconduct by adults against students. That can include anything from sexual assault to texting, “grooming” for sexual relationships and “creepy” behavior by adults, according to CPS policy.
Jones’ interactions with parents, meanwhile, made many of them feel belittled, according to interviews with more than a dozen parents who spoke to CPS about their concerns.
The former principal frequently yelled at parents in front of their own children and other parents, teachers and students, several parents told the district, including admonishing them for using cellphone cameras at school shows.
Two parents said Jones gave them trouble when trying to deal with their children’s medical issues. One mother said he wouldn’t let her into the school to give her kid an EpiPen, then was difficult to deal with when he eventually let her inside. Another mother said Jones scolded her when she would pick up her child, who has medical issues, for doctor appointments, refusing to let her into the building and telling her to schedule appointments in the evening and on weekends.
Another parent told investigators they shared negative feedback about Jones at an LSC meeting, and he responded with, “You parents are worse than my Kindergartners,” the report said.
Some LSC members interviewed by the district painted a more neutral picture of Jones’ actions, saying they never saw his alleged behavior themselves, and explained that some accusations have been overblown.
One LSC parent representative said Jones is stern and focuses on student safety. Two others said they’re aware of parent complaints about Jones’ unprofessional behavior, but attributed those feelings to the principal’s tone of voice rather than his actions being inappropriate.
Faye Jenkins, a Franklin lunchroom worker, was hit by a water bottle thrown by Principal Kurt Jones. Provided
Admits throwing bottle, food, chairs
In the probe of the bottle-throwing incident that led to the lunchroom worker’s concussion, district investigators found Jones’ admission that he threw the bottle to be enough evidence that he violated his duties as a CPS employee.
Even by Jones’ own account, he was playing a “game of dodgeball” with his staff inside the school, which investigators deemed “an unsanctioned and irrelevant activity” that ended with the injury of one of his employees.
That was part of a pattern of conduct by the former principal, including throwing chairs or food on numerous occasions, that was “categorically unprofessional, especially when considering Principal Jones’ hierarchical position within Franklin,” the CPS report said.
Jones admitted to investigators that he was the man shown in a video of a December 2018 incident in which he dropped a metal chair from a second-floor balcony in Franklin’s lunchroom. He said he was trying to startle some of his employees, part of his attempt to create a lighthearted, fun atmosphere and build relationships.
Investigators acknowledged in their report that Jones was issued a verbal warning for that lone incident. But they added that Jones went on to admit he had dropped metal chairs from the balcony five to 10 times in his tenure at Franklin. A teacher told the district she also saw Jones throw a metal chair or garbage can into a classroom, scaring the students and teacher, the report said. Jones said he never threw a chair into a classroom, but couldn’t remember if he tossed a garbage can, according to the report.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-24--Select movie theaters in Chicago suburbs to reopen Friday with state’s OK

Movie theaters in Elmhurst , North Riverside and several other suburban locations will reopen Friday as the launch of Illinois ’ Phase 4 allows indoor filmgoing to resume .
The York Theatre in Elmhurst and the Luxury 6 in North Riverside will be among the cinemas reopening their doors .
They ’ re all part of the Classic Cinemas chain , which also will be welcoming patrons Friday at the Charlestowne 18 in St. Charles , the Cinema 12 in Carpentersville , the Cinema 7 in Sandwich , the Elk Grove in Elk Grove Village , the Fox Lake in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Kankakee and the Woodstock in Woodstock , as well as locations in Beloit , Wisconsin , and Freeport .
The movie lineups are a mix of releases from earlier this year ( “ Invisible Man , ” “ Bloodshot , ” “ I Still Believe , ” “ Trolls World Tour ” ) and old favorites ( “ Space Jam , ” “ Batman Begins , ” the four Indiana Jones films ) .
Only one brand new movie will be playing : the British rave drama “ Beats , ” showing at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4 permits indoor theaters to open for the first time since mid-March , although several drive-in movie theaters old and new have been operating in and around Chicago for the last few weeks .
Most indoor theaters in the area are remaining closed for now .
Classic Cinemas will be complying with the state ’ s limit of no more than 50 people or 50 % capacity per auditorium ( whichever is fewer ) and staggering showtimes to avoid lobby congestion .
The theater is recommending reserving seats online to allow for three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) between groups .
Masks will be required except when seated .
Employees will need to pass a health screening before every shift , wear masks and gloves and disinfect seats after every showtime .
Some of the state ’ s theater owners are lobbying for Pritzker to eliminate the 50-people-per-room cap and allow attendance at 50 % capacity for auditoriums of any size .
The National Association of Theater Owners of Illinois said in a statement Tuesday that the 50-customer limit will deny theaters revenue needed to rehire workers , purchase supplies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are eager to salvage what ’ s left of the summer blockbuster season , ” said NATO president Chris Johnson ( also CEO of Classic Cinemas ) , “ and reclaim our role as a safe space to escape from life ’ s struggles .
”

Movie theaters in Elmhurst, North Riverside and several other suburban locations will reopen Friday as the launch of Illinois’ Phase 4 allows indoor filmgoing to resume.
The York Theatre in Elmhurst and the Luxury 6 in North Riverside will be among the cinemas reopening their doors.
They’re all part of the Classic Cinemas chain, which also will be welcoming patrons Friday at the Charlestowne 18 in St. Charles, the Cinema 12 in Carpentersville, the Cinema 7 in Sandwich, the Elk Grove in Elk Grove Village, the Fox Lake in Fox Lake, the Paramount Theatre in Kankakee and the Woodstock in Woodstock, as well as locations in Beloit, Wisconsin, and Freeport.
The movie lineups are a mix of releases from earlier this year (“Invisible Man,” “Bloodshot,” “I Still Believe,” “Trolls World Tour”) and old favorites (“Space Jam,” “Batman Begins,” the four Indiana Jones films).
Related Music Box Theatre will reopen in stages
Only one brand new movie will be playing: the British rave drama “Beats,” showing at the Charlestowne.
The beginning of Phase 4 permits indoor theaters to open for the first time since mid-March, although several drive-in movie theaters old and new have been operating in and around Chicago for the last few weeks. Most indoor theaters in the area are remaining closed for now.
“It is still unclear if the general public is ready to return to movie theaters,” said Karen Durham, associate director of the Gene Siskel Film Center in the Loop. “Due to the capacity limits and extra expenses of maintaining a safe environment, we’re still assessing the feasibility of reopening.”
At the Logan Theatre in Logan Square, marketing director Jennifer Zacarias said the doors will open only when “we are confident that our new policies and procedures are in line with the new guidelines dictated by the CDC, state and city.”
Classic Cinemas will be complying with the state’s limit of no more than 50 people or 50% capacity per auditorium (whichever is fewer) and staggering showtimes to avoid lobby congestion.
The theater is recommending reserving seats online to allow for three empty seats (or two luxury recliners) between groups. Masks will be required except when seated.
Employees will need to pass a health screening before every shift, wear masks and gloves and disinfect seats after every showtime.
Some of the state’s theater owners are lobbying for Pritzker to eliminate the 50-people-per-room cap and allow attendance at 50% capacity for auditoriums of any size. The National Association of Theater Owners of Illinois said in a statement Tuesday that the 50-customer limit will deny theaters revenue needed to rehire workers, purchase supplies and cover overhead costs.
“We are eager to salvage what’s left of the summer blockbuster season,” said NATO president Chris Johnson (also CEO of Classic Cinemas), “and reclaim our role as a safe space to escape from life’s struggles.”
Movie studios have postponed the openings of their highest-profile films while theaters are closed but plan to roll out a few grand-scale titles in the coming weeks, starting with the Russell Crowe road-rage thriller “Unhinged” on July 10. The stakes get higher with Disney’s live-action “Mulan” on July 24 and Christopher Nolan’s spy epic “Tenet” on July 31.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-24--Lake Michigan big fish: A season of chasing history for big coho and big Chinook in Illinois waters

Considering their Saturday started with losing six big fish , Dale Rehus and Chris Ranney ended up boating a coho big enough to talk history .
Now that boats are fishing again on southern Lake Michigan , catches begin to mirror the reports of big coho and big Chinook last year .
I never thought we would see another chase for Illinois ’ coho and Chinook records ( see Fish of the Week ) , both of which were set in the 1970s .
It ’ s time to rethink that .
‘ ‘ Seeing those records topped in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cool , ’ ’ emailed Vic Santucci , the Lake Michigan program manager for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources .
That wasn ’ t what Ranney and Rehus were thinking about when they left Waukegan in Rehus ’ boat , ‘ ‘ Delirious.
’ ’ They set up on South Reef as the sun rose .
‘ ‘ Proceeded to hook up with six big fish .
.
.
.
I ’ m sure they were kings , as we were running a six-rod spread of king baits , ’ ’ Rehus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ !
!
!
!
Maddening .
But this one hit a rigger.
’ ’ Ranney caught the fish on a meat rig on the downrigger , the ball down 42 feet .
‘ ‘ We assumed it was a decent king , ’ ’ Rehus messaged .
‘ ‘ We both eyeballed it at 17 pounds .
[ Ranney ] took it home to clean it , and we both posted pics .
All our friends said , ‘ That ’ s no king , it ’ s a coho.
’ ‘ ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and without the fish .
Difference was 18.6 pounds .
Certainly the biggest coho ever caught on my boat in 25 years.
’ ’ Carry VandeVusse caught the Illinois-record coho ( 20 pounds , 9 ounces ) on May 24 , 1972 , in Lake County waters .
Santucci and Ben Dickinson , Indiana ’ s Lake Michigan fisheries biologist , would have liked a better look at the tail and the inside of the mouth of Ranney ’ s fish , but they agreed it was likely a coho .
‘ ‘ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the very rare ones that spends an extra year in the lake , ’ ’ Dickinson messaged .
I wondered whether the better size was related to the reduction in salmon stockings for several years .
‘ ‘ We reduced stocking of all of the salmon and trout species in our 2016 stocking adjustment , and estimates of naturally produced Chinook salmon has been lower in recent years — fewer predators for a given amount of prey usually means bigger , healthier fish , ’ ’ Santucci emailed .
‘ ‘ The increase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happening this year should not affect this year ’ s fishery very much , if at all.
’ ’ I asked what impact the stay-at-home orders would have on salmon fishing .
‘ ‘ [ W ] ith fewer fish being harvested this spring due to the stay-at-home orders ( typically a big harvest period for coho in Illinois ) , we might expect that more fish will be available to anglers throughout the year , and , depending on harvest this summer , there might be better fall runs than we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ’ Santucci emailed .
‘ ‘ It is hard to say for sure [ because ] our fall returns depend largely on survival of fish stocked in Illinois harbors.
’ ’ Retired naturalist Carl Strang posted what the 2020 periodical cicada emergence taught him at natureinquiries.wordpress.com/2020/06/23/periodical-cicada-update .
.
.
.
Follow the saga of Monty and Rose and their chicks , the piping plovers at Montrose Beach , at chicagopipingplovers.org .
Tina Turner ’ s opening to ‘ ‘ Nutbush City Limits ’ ’ ( ‘ ‘ A church house , gin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is to dissections of American society what Norman Maclean ’ s opening sentence in ‘ ‘ A River Runs Through It ’ ’ ( ‘ ‘ In our family , there was no clear line between religion and fly-fishing ’ ’ ) is to descriptions of the passion for the outdoors .

Considering their Saturday started with losing six big fish, Dale Rehus and Chris Ranney ended up boating a coho big enough to talk history.
Now that boats are fishing again on southern Lake Michigan, catches begin to mirror the reports of big coho and big Chinook last year. I never thought we would see another chase for Illinois’ coho and Chinook records (see Fish of the Week), both of which were set in the 1970s. It’s time to rethink that.
‘‘Seeing those records topped in the next year or two would be pretty cool,’’ emailed Vic Santucci, the Lake Michigan program manager for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.
That wasn’t what Ranney and Rehus were thinking about when they left Waukegan in Rehus’ boat, ‘‘Delirious.’’ They set up on South Reef as the sun rose.
‘‘Proceeded to hook up with six big fish. . . . I’m sure they were kings, as we were running a six-rod spread of king baits,’’ Rehus messaged. ‘‘Lost every one!!!! Maddening. But this one hit a rigger.’’
Ranney caught the fish on a meat rig on the downrigger, the ball down 42 feet.
‘‘We assumed it was a decent king,’’ Rehus messaged. ‘‘We both eyeballed it at 17 pounds. [Ranney] took it home to clean it, and we both posted pics. All our friends said, ‘That’s no king, it’s a coho.’
‘‘So he jumped on the scale with and without the fish. Difference was 18.6 pounds. Certainly the biggest coho ever caught on my boat in 25 years.’’
Carry VandeVusse caught the Illinois-record coho (20 pounds, 9 ounces) on May 24, 1972, in Lake County waters.
Santucci and Ben Dickinson, Indiana’s Lake Michigan fisheries biologist, would have liked a better look at the tail and the inside of the mouth of Ranney’s fish, but they agreed it was likely a coho.
‘‘[It is] likely one of the very rare ones that spends an extra year in the lake,’’ Dickinson messaged.
I wondered whether the better size was related to the reduction in salmon stockings for several years.
‘‘We reduced stocking of all of the salmon and trout species in our 2016 stocking adjustment, and estimates of naturally produced Chinook salmon has been lower in recent years — fewer predators for a given amount of prey usually means bigger, healthier fish,’’ Santucci emailed. ‘‘The increase in lakewide stocking of salmon and trout happening this year should not affect this year’s fishery very much, if at all.’’
I asked what impact the stay-at-home orders would have on salmon fishing.
‘‘[W]ith fewer fish being harvested this spring due to the stay-at-home orders (typically a big harvest period for coho in Illinois), we might expect that more fish will be available to anglers throughout the year, and, depending on harvest this summer, there might be better fall runs than we have seen in the past few years,’’ Santucci emailed. ‘‘It is hard to say for sure [because] our fall returns depend largely on survival of fish stocked in Illinois harbors.’’
Wild things
Retired naturalist Carl Strang posted what the 2020 periodical cicada emergence taught him at natureinquiries.wordpress.com/2020/06/23/periodical-cicada-update. . . . Follow the saga of Monty and Rose and their chicks, the piping plovers at Montrose Beach, at chicagopipingplovers.org.
Stray cast
Tina Turner’s opening to ‘‘Nutbush City Limits’’ (‘‘A church house, gin house/A schoolhouse, outhouse’’) is to dissections of American society what Norman Maclean’s opening sentence in ‘‘A River Runs Through It’’ (‘‘In our family, there was no clear line between religion and fly-fishing’’) is to descriptions of the passion for the outdoors.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-24--16 shot Tuesday in Chicago

16 shot Tuesday in Chicago

Four people were shot in Burnside on the South Side .
The shooting happened about 5 p.m. in the 9100 block of South Ellis Avenue , according to Chicago police and fire officials .
They were outside a home when someone in a silver-colored vehicle unleashed gunfire , police said .
A 27-year-old man was shot in the shoulder , leg and foot , police said .
A 33-year-old woman was shot in the shoulder , back and leg , while a second woman , 60 , was struck in the back .
The trio was taken to the University @ @ @ @ @ @ @ man and the older woman were listed in good condition and the younger woman was in serious condition , officials said .
A 60-year-old man was taken to Trinity Hospital in good condition with a gunshot wound to the hand , police said .
A 23-year-old man was critically wounded and another man was grazed by a stray bullet in a shooting in McKinley Park on the South Side .
About 11 p.m. the 23-year-old was walking in the 3600 block of South Wood Street , when a white vehicle approached him and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The man was struck multiple times and taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition .
A second man , 49 , was also in the area and was grazed by a bullet on his right leg , police said .
He refused to cooperate with police and left the scene .
A woman was shot in West Pullman on the Far South Side .
The woman , 31 , was outside about 9:55 p.m. in the 300 block of West 118th Street when she saw three males , heard gunshots and felt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
She was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in good condition , police said .
About 10 minutes prior , a 43-year-old man was grazed by a bullet in Washington Park on the South Side .
About 9:45 p.m. he was driving east on 55th Street when a dark-colored vehicle approached in the 5500 block of South Wabash Avenue and fired shots , police said .
He was able to wave down police for help , police said .
The man was grazed by a bullet on his left @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before then , a 23-year-old man was wounded when he was shot in South Shore making him the third person shot within 30 minutes on the South Side .
He was on the sidewalk about 9:30 p.m. in the 7800 block of South Essex Avenue when he heard gunfire and felt pain , police said .
He was uncooperative with investigators .
The man was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition with multiple gunshot wounds , police said .
A 31-year-old man was wounded when he was shot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was wounded in a shooting in Brighton Park at the same time .
The 31-year-old was shot in the arm about 8:10 p.m. in the 8400 block of South Muskegon Avenue , police said .
The man was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in fair condition .
The 62-year-old was in a garage about 8:09 p.m. in the 4200 block of South California Avenue when two male suspects approached him and started fighting with him , police said .
During the altercation , one of the males pulled out a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ leg .
The man was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition , police said .
A man was wounded in a shooting in West Pullman on the Far South Side .
The 27-year-old was on the sidewalk about 5:50 p.m. in the 100 block of East 119th Street when someone opened fire , police said .
The man was struck in the thigh and taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in good condition , police said .
Four other people were wounded in shootings across Chicago .
Forty-one people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Monday in Chicago .
Read more on crime , and track the city ’ s homicides .

Sixteen people were shot, one fatally, Tuesday in Chicago.
A 19-year-old woman was fatally shot in Washington Park on the South Side, police said.
She was on the street about 4:40 p.m. in the 300 block of East 56th Street when someone approached her and shot her in the back, Chicago police said.
The woman was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center where she was pronounced dead, police said.
The Cook County medical examiner’s office identified the woman as being Shanayah Brown. She lived in Washington Park.
No one is in custody as Area One detectives investigate.
In non-fatal shootings, four people were shot in Burnside on the South Side.
The shooting happened about 5 p.m. in the 9100 block of South Ellis Avenue, according to police and fire officials.
They were outside a home when someone in a silver-colored vehicle unleashed gunfire, police said.
A 27-year-old man was shot in the shoulder, leg and foot, police said. A 33-year-old woman was shot in the shoulder, back and leg, while a second woman, 60, was struck in the back.
The trio was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where the man and the older woman were listed in good condition and the younger woman was in serious condition, officials said.
A 60-year-old man was taken to Trinity Hospital in good condition with a gunshot wound to the hand, police said.
A 23-year-old man was critically wounded and another man was grazed by a stray bullet in a shooting in McKinley Park on the South Side.
About 11 p.m. the 23-year-old was walking in the 3600 block of South Wood Street, when a white vehicle approached him and someone inside opened fire, police said. The man was struck multiple times and taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition.
A second man, 49, was also in the area and was grazed by a bullet on his right leg, police said. He refused to cooperate with police and left the scene.
A woman was shot in West Pullman on the Far South Side.
The woman, 31, was outside about 9:55 p.m. in the 300 block of West 118th Street when she saw three males, heard gunshots and felt one strike her lower leg, police said.
She was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in good condition, police said.
About 10 minutes prior, a 43-year-old man was grazed by a bullet in Washington Park on the South Side.
About 9:45 p.m. he was driving east on 55th Street when a dark-colored vehicle approached in the 5500 block of South Wabash Avenue and fired shots, police said.
He was able to wave down police for help, police said. The man was grazed by a bullet on his left hand and refused medical attention.
Just before then, a 23-year-old man was wounded when he was shot in South Shore making him the third person shot within 30 minutes on the South Side.
He was on the sidewalk about 9:30 p.m. in the 7800 block of South Essex Avenue when he heard gunfire and felt pain, police said. He was uncooperative with investigators.
The man was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition with multiple gunshot wounds, police said.
A 31-year-old man was wounded when he was shot in South Chicago and a 62-year-old man was wounded in a shooting in Brighton Park at the same time.
The 31-year-old was shot in the arm about 8:10 p.m. in the 8400 block of South Muskegon Avenue, police said. The man was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center in fair condition.
The 62-year-old was in a garage about 8:09 p.m. in the 4200 block of South California Avenue when two male suspects approached him and started fighting with him, police said. During the altercation, one of the males pulled out a gun and shot the man in the leg.
The man was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition, police said.
A man was wounded in a shooting in West Pullman on the Far South Side.
The 27-year-old was on the sidewalk about 5:50 p.m. in the 100 block of East 119th Street when someone opened fire, police said.
The man was struck in the thigh and taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in good condition, police said.
Three other people were wounded in shootings across Chicago.
Forty-one people were shot, six of them fatally, Monday in Chicago.
Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-24--Chicago-native Jabari Parker reveals he has tested positive for coronavirus

INDIANAPOLIS — Sacramento Kings forward Jabari Parker revealed Wednesday that he have tested positive for the coronavirus .
The announcement came in the form of statement released by the Kings .
But the former Simeon standout believes he will be with ready to return when the NBA season resumes at the Disney complex near Orlando , Florida , next month .
“ Several days ago I tested positive for COVID-19 and immediately self-isolated in Chicago which is where I remain , ” Parker said in his statement .
“ I am progressing in my recovery and feeling well .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Orlando as we return to the court for the resumption of the NBA season.
” All 22 NBA teams that will be part of the resumed season began mandated testing Tuesday .
League officials have expected that positive tests would be inevitable , and believed that starting a testing regimen now — roughly five weeks before games begin at Disney — will give players with positive results time to recover and get back with their teams before those contests start July 30 .
All teams will arrive at Disney between July 7 and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and training camp .
The NBA is in the process of finalizing the game schedule for the resumed season .
Parker has appeared in one game with the Kings .
He was traded to Sacramento in February by Atlanta , after averaging 15 points in 32 games with the Hawks this season .

INDIANAPOLIS — Sacramento Kings forward Jabari Parker revealed Wednesday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus.
The announcement came in the form of statement released by the Kings. But the former Simeon standout believes he will be with ready to return when the NBA season resumes at the Disney complex near Orlando, Florida, next month.
“Several days ago I tested positive for COVID-19 and immediately self-isolated in Chicago which is where I remain,” Parker said in his statement. “I am progressing in my recovery and feeling well. I look forward to joining my teammates in Orlando as we return to the court for the resumption of the NBA season.”
All 22 NBA teams that will be part of the resumed season began mandated testing Tuesday. League officials have expected that positive tests would be inevitable, and believed that starting a testing regimen now — roughly five weeks before games begin at Disney — will give players with positive results time to recover and get back with their teams before those contests start July 30.
All teams will arrive at Disney between July 7 and July 9 to start a brief quarantine and training camp. The NBA is in the process of finalizing the game schedule for the resumed season.
Parker has appeared in one game with the Kings. He was traded to Sacramento in February by Atlanta, after averaging 15 points in 32 games with the Hawks this season.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-24--Family of slain 3-year-old Mekhi James offers $13,000 reward for information on shooter

The McDonald ’ s Happy Meal Yvette James bought for her grandson Saturday as a reward for getting a haircut still sits on the stove in their Austin home .
It ’ s a constant reminder that her 3-year-old grandson , Mekhi James , won ’ t be coming back home .
Mekhi was shot and killed Saturday , but James simply can ’ t bring herself to throw the meal away .
“ The person who shot my grandson , please put it in your heart and turn yourself in , ” James said .
“ Go to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m the one that shot the little baby , I ’ ve come to turn myself in.
’ Please do it for that little boy.
” She and other relatives of Mekhi spoke in front of the family home Wednesday , where an increased reward was announced for information leading to his killer .
“ We are asking if anybody knows anything — and we really do believe you do — about the whereabouts of this killer , speak now , please speak up , ” said Rev .
Ira Acree of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is leading efforts around the reward .
“ If you break the silence , we can end the violence.
” The reward , now at $ 13,000 , is several thousand dollars more than what what it was three days ago .
The family also launched a GoFundMe page to help cover funeral and memorial arrangements .
The boy ’ s mother , Myesha James , declined to speak with the press .
Mekhi was the youngest shooting victim over the weekend that left 104 injured and 15 dead — 12 of which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mekhi was heading home after getting a haircut with his stepfather when someone opened fire into their car .
The stepfather is believed to have been the intended target .
The stepfather rushed Mekhi to West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park , where he was pronounced dead .
The stepfather , who declined to give his name , pulled his hoodie over his eyes tightly Wednesday afternoon before reciting a poem he wrote dedicated to Mekhi .
Halfway through reading , his voice cracked and he shed a few tears .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is no reason he shouldn ’ t have made it home , to come back to say , ‘ Mommy , do you like my haircut ?
’ ” Mekhi ’ s aunt Christal Allen said .
“ It never happened , she is still waiting on that.
” Allen said their family is in desperate need of closure .
Mekhi ’ s four siblings and young cousins are left wondering where he is .
Still , the conversation about death is something they are becoming accustomed to since he wasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence in their family .
Still , Allen said , they are seeking answers that neither she nor her sister can give them at this moment .
“ They shooting everywhere we have a safe place to take our children , ” Allen said .
“ The streets talk , I ’ m praying they talk enough to have evidence to give to all of us — the police , the family , the reporters — to just give us some type of closure.
” Allen said the entire family is struggling to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they have spent many “ sleepless nights.
” Destinie Giles , Mekhi ’ s godmother , had a message for the person who took the young boy ’ s life .
“ Y ’ all broke a bond that can never be mended back together , you broke a family , ” Giles said about the boy ’ s mother .
“ We just ordered our kids ’ summer clothes and [ she ’ s ] asking me what is she supposed to do with my godson ’ s clothes ?
Y ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shooter robbed Mekhi of what may have been a promising future .
“ You took a life away from a 3-year-old .
We don ’ t know if he was going to be our doctor , our lawyer , our judge , our football player , our quarterback , we don ’ t know because you took it away from us , ” Giles said with her voice trembling .
“ And I hope your family [ feels ] the same pain we feel.
” Manny Ramos is a corps member in Report @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that aims to bolster Sun-Times coverage of issues affecting Chicago ’ s South and West sides .

The McDonald’s Happy Meal Yvette James bought for her grandson Saturday as a reward for getting a haircut still sits on the stove in their Austin home.
It’s a constant reminder that her 3-year-old grandson, Mekhi James, won’t be coming back home.
Mekhi was shot and killed Saturday, but James simply can’t bring herself to throw the meal away.
“The person who shot my grandson, please put it in your heart and turn yourself in,” James said. “Go to the police and say, ‘I’m the one that shot the little baby, I’ve come to turn myself in.’ Please do it for that little boy.”
She and other relatives of Mekhi spoke in front of the family home Wednesday, where an increased reward was announced for information leading to his killer.
“We are asking if anybody knows anything — and we really do believe you do — about the whereabouts of this killer, speak now, please speak up,” said Rev. Ira Acree of the Greater St. John Baptist Church, who is leading efforts around the reward. “If you break the silence, we can end the violence.”
The reward, now at $13,000, is several thousand dollars more than what what it was three days ago. The family also launched a GoFundMe page to help cover funeral and memorial arrangements.
The boy’s mother, Myesha James, declined to speak with the press.
Mekhi was the youngest shooting victim over the weekend that left 104 injured and 15 dead — 12 of which were minors. On Saturday evening, Mekhi was heading home after getting a haircut with his stepfather when someone opened fire into their car. The stepfather is believed to have been the intended target.
The stepfather rushed Mekhi to West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, where he was pronounced dead.
The stepfather, who declined to give his name, pulled his hoodie over his eyes tightly Wednesday afternoon before reciting a poem he wrote dedicated to Mekhi. Halfway through reading, his voice cracked and he shed a few tears.
“He was going to get a haircut there is no reason he shouldn’t have made it home, to come back to say, ‘Mommy, do you like my haircut?’” Mekhi’s aunt Christal Allen said. “It never happened, she is still waiting on that.”
Allen said their family is in desperate need of closure. Mekhi’s four siblings and young cousins are left wondering where he is. Still, the conversation about death is something they are becoming accustomed to since he wasn’t the first to die of gun violence in their family.
Christal Allen, the aunt of Mekhi James, speaks at a news conference on Wednesday, June 24, 2020, outside of the James’ residence in Austin. Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
Still, Allen said, they are seeking answers that neither she nor her sister can give them at this moment.
“They shooting everywhere we have a safe place to take our children,” Allen said. “The streets talk, I’m praying they talk enough to have evidence to give to all of us — the police, the family, the reporters — to just give us some type of closure.”
Allen said the entire family is struggling to cope with the loss of Mekhi and they have spent many “sleepless nights.”
Destinie Giles, Mekhi’s godmother, had a message for the person who took the young boy’s life.
“Y’all broke a bond that can never be mended back together, you broke a family,” Giles said about the boy’s mother. “We just ordered our kids’ summer clothes and [she’s] asking me what is she supposed to do with my godson’s clothes? Y’all broke her.”
Giles said the shooter robbed Mekhi of what may have been a promising future.
“You took a life away from a 3-year-old. We don’t know if he was going to be our doctor, our lawyer, our judge, our football player, our quarterback, we don’t know because you took it away from us,” Giles said with her voice trembling. “And I hope your family [feels] the same pain we feel.”
Mekhi James, the 3-year-old killed in the Austin neighborhood on Saturday, June 20, 2020. Family photo
Manny Ramos is a corps member in Report for America, a not-for-profit journalism program that aims to bolster Sun-Times coverage of issues affecting Chicago’s South and West sides.


chicagosun-times--2020-06-24--Chicago school board votes 4-3 to keep police contract — for now

Chicago ’ s school board has voted against ending a program that puts police officers in public schools , following the wishes of the mayor and top Chicago Public Schools leadership while rejecting the demands of students and activists who for years have called for police-free schools .
While the narrow 4-3 vote , the most suspenseful by the Board of Education in years , keeps intact a scrutinized $ 33-million contract between the school system and the Chicago Police Department , another vote is likely in the next two months on whether to renew the contract that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ August .
Ahead of the highly anticipated vote that for now leaves more than 200 officers in about 70 schools , students and activists held protests across the city , including in front of the board president ’ s house , to give one final push toward dumping the contract .
The decision marks a defeat for activists who have protested in massive numbers against school police since the killing of George Floyd last month , and who hoped to see one of CPS ’ most significant policy changes in recent memory in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lori Lightfoot and CPS CEO Janice Jackson have fought against the blanket removal of school cops , saying it should be up to each individual school ’ s Local School Council made up of parents , teachers and community members .
LSCs were given the power this past school year to decide whether police should remain in their schools and not a single one voted to get rid of its officers .
LSC members around the city , however , complained about short notice before the vote and a lack of information on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to consider the issue again later this summer .
Board member : Wrong to spend CPS money on guns and Tasers School board member Elizabeth Todd-Breland , who led the charge to end the police contract , argued a decision shouldn ’ t be in the hands of the LSCs because research is clear that the presence of officers hurts Black and Brown students .
“ I ’ m a Black mother .
I ’ m a resident of the South Side of Chicago .
I ’ m a former LSC member .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ college counselor and a historian and an education researcher who studies race and education in Chicago .
And in all of these roles , I am clear that police do not belong in schools , ” said Todd-Breland , an assistant professor of History at the University of Illinois at Chicago .
“ We use board money to pay for guns and Tasers in our schools , ” she said .
“ This is not about individual officers , this is not about a relationship folks have had with an Officer Friendly .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ systemic problem that requires a systemic response and transformation .
It is not enough to reform or make a better-trained or kinder school-to-prison pipeline.
” Todd-Breland was joined by the other two women on the board , Amy Rome and Luisiana Melendez , in voting to end the police contract .
The board ’ s four men , including president Miguel del Valle , vice president Sendhil Revuluri and members Lucino Sotelo and Dwayne Truss , chose to keep officers in schools .
Melendez said she was saddened by the motion ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ things in the police culture that need to change radically and quickly if we can all say with pride that their presence in our schools is gon na make our students better .
“ Unfortunately , police departments in this country have proven to be racist , ” Melendez said .
“ Not individually , but culturally .
And that is what worries me .
Will we be able to start enacting change to transform that , so that students in our schools , if they ’ re Black and Brown , don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re four times more likely to be the target of unfair police practices ?
I don ’ t have the answer to that.
” Truss , a longtime activist on the West Side , said his and other Black communities have been “ under siege by gun violence , ” and that having officers in schools creates a sanctuary for students to get away from the trauma .
“ School resource officers are needed in the schools that want them , ” he said .
Del Valle both said that growing up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his school and nobody was around to help .
Sotelo said police can have a negative presence , recalling he was harassed by both gangs and police when he was young , but he warned of “ unintended consequences of doing this so abruptly , ” saying students will drop out if they don ’ t have safety at school — which he believes officers provide .
Revuluri appeared to be the member most on the fence about the issue , asking questions of district officials even just moments before the vote .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ need to be taken in July or August , leaving open the possibility he could change his mind .
But he said an alternative to school cops needs to be developed by then , and he wasn ’ t sure if that was possible .
“ We are long overdue for reimagining what safety looks like in our schools .
And we need to do that , ” Revuluri said , adding that “ we can ’ t just pass the buck of this decision to ” LSCs .
CPS already employs almost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools including those that have police officers , according to district records .
Those asking for police to be taken out of schools have said repeatedly officers don ’ t make Black and Brown students feel safe , and that they would rather the $ 33 million spent on policing to be used for social workers , counselors and nurses to address the trauma students face in communities hit hard by gun violence .
Several aldermen called into the online meeting to voice their opinions on the issue .
In all , eight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Byron Sigcho-Lopez , Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez , Carlos Ramirez-Rosa , Andre Vasquez , Matt Martin and Maria Hadden — urged the board to end the police contract .
Five of their City Council counterparts — Pat Dowell , David Moore , Derrick Curtis , Christopher Taliaferro and Nicholas Sposato — called to say they prefer officers remain in schools .
“ Young people have told you from the very beginning , the young people that we claim to love ... that police do not need to be in schools , ” Taylor passionately argued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the CPS board ... seen a student carried out of a school in handcuffs ?
In elementary school ?
My son has .
And is that what we ’ re teaching them ?
How to put their hands behind their back ?
” Sigcho-Lopez told the board that “ unequivocally , this is a no-brainer ” to remove police from schools .
He pointed to the trauma faced by CPS student Dnigma Howard , who was 16 years old when she was shoved down a set of stairs and stunned with a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Marshall Metropolitan High School in a January 2019 incident that drew national headlines .
“ A 16-year-old .
I want to make sure you remember these words so you understand how this policy works and affects our youth , ” Sigcho-Lopez said .
“ A police officer was screaming at the father of a special education child , a 16-year-old Black teenager , ‘ Your daughter is going to jail.
’ Now , is this the type of policy that we want to see in our schools ?
“ It ’ s immoral @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s no justification , ” he said .
“ People are watching .
People are seeing our decisions .
This is the time for you to make a decision .
Not to be a rubber stamp for the mayor.
” While the meeting went on , a march and rally was being held downtown to support removing police from schools .
It featured Dnigma ’ s father , Laurentio Howard .
Dowell , one of the aldermen speaking in favor of police , urged the board to “ take a measured approach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rash decision ” by ending the police contract because the officers in her South Side ward have been a good presence in schools , she said .
Other aldermen argued officers offer important protection for students from outside danger .
“ I can ’ t imagine what it would be like without having a law enforcement officer there to protect our kids as well as our teachers , ” Curtis said .
“ Our teachers are already overworked , and they shouldn ’ t be responsible for teaching and protecting at the same @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physically and mentally , CPS CEO says Jackson said at Wednesday ’ s board meeting that it ’ s clear there are real concerns that have to be addressed about having cops in school , and students have to feel safe both physically and mentally .
But she still wants each school to decide for itself .
“ I don ’ t believe that a top-down mandate makes sense in this situation , ” Jackson said .
“ If this were an easy issue and cut and dried we wouldn ’ t be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There are just a lot of people who have different views about it.
” Jadine Chou , head of CPS ’ Office of Safety & Security , told the board that a survey administered in May showed almost all community members — about 85 % — strongly opposed keeping officers in schools , while 90 % of administrators wanted police to stay .
About half of the 3,200 kids surveyed wanted cops removed , but their opinions were spread across the spectrum of the issue , according to CPS ’ survey .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ meanwhile , had stronger feelings on both sides , with a little more than half of each supporting school cops .
It wasn ’ t clear where the survey participants live or with which schools they ’ re affiliated .
Chou added that the district has responded to concerns in recent years , acknowledging there wasn ’ t enough oversight on the program in the past .
New rules for police in schools call for officers not to be involved in school disciplinary issues , allow principals to choose their officers and include @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to work in schools .
“ We ’ re just asking for everyone to be on this journey with us , ” Chou said .
“ We ’ ve come a long way as a district .
We recognize we have a way to go .
But we feel like we are making progress.
” Also speaking during the online meeting was Marvin Hunter , great-uncle of Laquan McDonald , the Chicago teenager gunned down with 16 bullets by former CPD Officer Jason Van Dyke , “ I hear very compelling arguments for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the matter is , speaking as a lifelong resident of the city of Chicago , the optics of having police officers in the schools is not a good look from the perspective of the community , ” Hunter told the board .
“ Most people have been traumatized in our community at one level or another by uniformed police officers.
” As for his nephew ’ s murder , Hunter said “ just that action alone proves that police ... do not have the capacity to understand children , nor are they trained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speaker , Rebekah Fenton , a physician in Northwestern University ’ s Pediatrics Department , said she feels scared as a Black woman every time she comes across police officers , and that same fear is in Black and Brown students in schools every day .
“ The school resource officer contract threatens the futures of Chicago ’ s youth , ” Fenton said .
“ The mere presence of police in schools increases the risk of incarceration .
Continuing this contract neglects and exacerbates the collective trauma of policing in Black and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ schools .
”

Chicago’s school board has voted against ending a program that puts police officers in public schools, following the wishes of the mayor and top Chicago Public Schools leadership while rejecting the demands of students and activists who for years have called for police-free schools.
While the narrow 4-3 vote, the most suspenseful by the Board of Education in years, keeps intact a scrutinized $33-million contract between the school system and the Chicago Police Department, another vote is likely in the next two months on whether to renew the contract that’s set to expire at the end of August.
La Voz Sidebar 2023 Lea este artículo en español en La Voz Chicago.
Ahead of the highly anticipated vote that for now leaves more than 200 officers in about 70 schools, students and activists held protests across the city, including in front of the board president’s house, to give one final push toward dumping the contract. The decision marks a defeat for activists who have protested in massive numbers against school police since the killing of George Floyd last month, and who hoped to see one of CPS’ most significant policy changes in recent memory in a rebuke of Chicago police.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot and CPS CEO Janice Jackson have fought against the blanket removal of school cops, saying it should be up to each individual school’s Local School Council made up of parents, teachers and community members. LSCs were given the power this past school year to decide whether police should remain in their schools and not a single one voted to get rid of its officers. LSC members around the city, however, complained about short notice before the vote and a lack of information on the issue. The councils are set to consider the issue again later this summer.
Board member: Wrong to spend CPS money on guns and Tasers
School board member Elizabeth Todd-Breland, who led the charge to end the police contract, argued a decision shouldn’t be in the hands of the LSCs because research is clear that the presence of officers hurts Black and Brown students.
“I’m a Black mother. I’m a resident of the South Side of Chicago. I’m a former LSC member. I’m a former high school college counselor and a historian and an education researcher who studies race and education in Chicago. And in all of these roles, I am clear that police do not belong in schools,” said Todd-Breland, an assistant professor of History at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
“We use board money to pay for guns and Tasers in our schools,” she said. “This is not about individual officers, this is not about a relationship folks have had with an Officer Friendly. This is a deep, institutional and systemic problem that requires a systemic response and transformation. It is not enough to reform or make a better-trained or kinder school-to-prison pipeline.”
Todd-Breland was joined by the other two women on the board, Amy Rome and Luisiana Melendez, in voting to end the police contract. The board’s four men, including president Miguel del Valle, vice president Sendhil Revuluri and members Lucino Sotelo and Dwayne Truss, chose to keep officers in schools.
Melendez said she was saddened by the motion’s failure because there are “so many things in the police culture that need to change radically and quickly if we can all say with pride that their presence in our schools is gonna make our students better.
“Unfortunately, police departments in this country have proven to be racist,” Melendez said. “Not individually, but culturally. And that is what worries me. Will we be able to start enacting change to transform that, so that students in our schools, if they’re Black and Brown, don’t have to fear that they’re four times more likely to be the target of unfair police practices? I don’t have the answer to that.”
Truss: Cops create a sanctuary
Truss, a longtime activist on the West Side, said his and other Black communities have been “under siege by gun violence,” and that having officers in schools creates a sanctuary for students to get away from the trauma. “School resource officers are needed in the schools that want them,” he said.
Del Valle both said that growing up he was beaten by gang members at his school and nobody was around to help. Sotelo said police can have a negative presence, recalling he was harassed by both gangs and police when he was young, but he warned of “unintended consequences of doing this so abruptly,” saying students will drop out if they don’t have safety at school — which he believes officers provide.
Revuluri appeared to be the member most on the fence about the issue, asking questions of district officials even just moments before the vote. He pointed out that another vote will need to be taken in July or August, leaving open the possibility he could change his mind. But he said an alternative to school cops needs to be developed by then, and he wasn’t sure if that was possible.
“We are long overdue for reimagining what safety looks like in our schools. And we need to do that,” Revuluri said, adding that “we can’t just pass the buck of this decision to” LSCs.
CPS already employs almost 1,100 security guards who are stationed at schools including those that have police officers, according to district records. Those asking for police to be taken out of schools have said repeatedly officers don’t make Black and Brown students feel safe, and that they would rather the $33 million spent on policing to be used for social workers, counselors and nurses to address the trauma students face in communities hit hard by gun violence.
Youth activists dance in front of Chicago Board of Education President Miguel del Valle’s home in Belmont Cragin to demand an end to police presence in schools, Wednesday afternoon, June 24, 2020. The Chicago Board of Education is set to decide whether to end Chicago Public Schools’ $33 million contract with the Chicago Police Department and pull out police officers from schools. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times 1 of 23 Chicago Teachers Union members and hundreds of Black Lives Matter supporters rally in Federal Plaza in the Loop to call for the Chicago Board of Education to vote to end a $33 million contract between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Police Department, Wednesday afternoon, June 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 2 of 23 Chicago Teachers Union members and hundreds of supporters march through the Loop to call for the Chicago Board of Education to vote to end a $33 million contract between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Police Department, Wednesday afternoon, June 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 3 of 23 Youth activists dance in front of Chicago Board of Education President Miguel del Valle’s home in Belmont Cragin to demand an end to police presence in schools, Wednesday afternoon, June 24, 2020. The Chicago Board of Education is set to decide whether to end Chicago Public Schools’ $33 million contract with the Chicago Police Department and pull out police officers from schools. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times 4 of 23 Chicago Teachers Union members and hundreds of supporters march through the Loop to call for the Chicago Board of Education to vote to end a $33 million contract between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Police Department, Wednesday afternoon, June 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 5 of 23 Lanessa Young, 18, draws around Haroon Garel’s, 40, body during a teach in outside Chicago Board of Education President Miguel del Valle’s home in Belmont Cragin to demand an end to police presence in schools, Wednesday afternoon, June 24, 2020. The Chicago Board of Education is set to decide whether to end Chicago Public Schools’ $33 million contract with the Chicago Police Department and pull out police officers from schools. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times 6 of 23 Laurentio Howard, who has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit after his daughter was shoved and dragged by a Chicago Police officer stationed at Marshall Metropolitan High School, speaks during a Chicago Teachers Union rally in Federal Plaza in the Loop, Wednesday afternoon, June 24, 2020. The union and supporters are calling for the Chicago Board of Education to vote to end a $33 million contract between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Police Department. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 7 of 23 Jennifer Nava, 18, a graduate of Thomas Kelly College Prep, chants during a teach in outside Chicago Board of Education President Miguel del Valle’s home in Belmont Cragin, Wednesday afternoon, June 24, 2020. The Chicago Board of Education is set to decide whether to end Chicago Public Schools’ $33 million contract with the Chicago Police Department and pull out police officers from schools | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times 8 of 23 Chicago Teachers Union members and hundreds of supporters march through the Loop to call for the Chicago Board of Education to vote to end a $33 million contract between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Police Department, Wednesday afternoon, June 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 9 of 23 Youth activists stage a teach in outside Chicago Board of Education President Miguel del Valle’s home in Belmont Cragin to demand an end to police presence in schools, Wednesday afternoon, June 24, 2020. The Chicago Board of Education is set to decide whether to end Chicago Public Schools’ $33 million contract with the Chicago Police Department and pull out police officers from schools. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times 10 of 23 Chicago Teachers Union members and hundreds of supporters march through the Loop to call for the Chicago Board of Education to vote to end a $33 million contract between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Police Department, Wednesday afternoon, June 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 11 of 23 Youth activists dance in front of Chicago Board of Education President Miguel del Valle’s home in Belmont Cragin to demand an end to police presence in schools, Wednesday afternoon, June 24, 2020. The Chicago Board of Education is set to decide whether to end Chicago Public Schools’ $33 million contract with the Chicago Police Department and pull out police officers from schools. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times 12 of 23 Chicago Teachers Union members and hundreds of supporters march through the Loop to call for the Chicago Board of Education to vote to end a $33 million contract between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Police Department, Wednesday afternoon, June 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 13 of 23 Stacy Davis Gates, vice president of the Chicago Teachers Union, speaks during a rally in Federal Plaza in the Loop to call for the Chicago Board of Education to vote to end a $33 million contract between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Police Department, Wednesday afternoon, June 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 14 of 23 A police officer walks by as Essence Gatheright, 16, writes “Fund our schools” outside Chicago Board of Education President Miguel del Valle’s home, Wednesday afternoon, June 24, 2020. The Chicago Board of Education is set to decide whether to end Chicago Public Schools’ $33 million contract with the Chicago Police Department and pull out police officers from schools. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times 15 of 23 Chicago Teachers Union members and hundreds of supporters rally in Federal Plaza in the Loop to call for the Chicago Board of Education to vote to end a $33 million contract between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Police Department, Wednesday afternoon, June 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 16 of 23 Anna McCullom, 17, looks up an officer’s misconduct records during a teach in outside Chicago Board of Education President Miguel del Valle’s home in Belmont Cragin, Wednesday afternoon, June 24, 2020. The Chicago Board of Education is set to decide whether to end Chicago Public Schools’ $33 million contract with the Chicago Police Department and pull out police officers from schools. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times 17 of 23 Chicago Teachers Union members and hundreds of supporters march through the Loop to call for the Chicago Board of Education to vote to end a $33 million contract between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Police Department, Wednesday afternoon, June 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 18 of 23 Chicago police officers keep watch as Chicago Teachers Union members and supporters participate in a car caravan around a rally in Daley Plaza in the Loop to call for the Chicago Board of Education to vote to end a $33 million contract between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Police Department, Wednesday afternoon, June 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 19 of 23 (From left) Stacy Davis Gates, vice president of the Chicago Teachers Union, activist Eric Russell and Laurentio Howard, whose daughter was shoved and dragged by a Chicago Police officer stationed at Marshall Metropolitan High School, lead hundreds of supporters on a march through the Loop, Wednesday afternoon, June 24, 2020. The union and protesters are calling for the Chicago Board of Education to vote to end a $33 million contract between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Police Department. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 20 of 23 Chicago Teachers Union members and hundreds of supporters march through the Loop to call for the Chicago Board of Education to vote to end a $33 million contract between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Police Department, Wednesday afternoon, June 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 21 of 23 Chicago Teachers Union members and hundreds of supporters march through the Loop to call for the Chicago Board of Education to vote to end a $33 million contract between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Police Department, Wednesday afternoon, June 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 22 of 23 Chicago Teachers Union members and hundreds of Black Lives Matter supporters rally in Federal Plaza in the Loop to call for the Chicago Board of Education to vote to end a $33 million contract between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Police Department, Wednesday afternoon, June 24, 2020. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times 23 of 23
Aldermen weigh in
Several aldermen called into the online meeting to voice their opinions on the issue. In all, eight — Jeanette Taylor, Howard Brookins, Byron Sigcho-Lopez, Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez, Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, Andre Vasquez, Matt Martin and Maria Hadden — urged the board to end the police contract. Five of their City Council counterparts — Pat Dowell, David Moore, Derrick Curtis, Christopher Taliaferro and Nicholas Sposato — called to say they prefer officers remain in schools.
“Young people have told you from the very beginning, the young people that we claim to love ... that police do not need to be in schools,” Taylor passionately argued. “Have any of you sitting on the CPS board ... seen a student carried out of a school in handcuffs? In elementary school? My son has. And is that what we’re teaching them? How to put their hands behind their back?”
Sigcho-Lopez told the board that “unequivocally, this is a no-brainer” to remove police from schools. He pointed to the trauma faced by CPS student Dnigma Howard, who was 16 years old when she was shoved down a set of stairs and stunned with a Taser by Chicago police officers stationed in Marshall Metropolitan High School in a January 2019 incident that drew national headlines.
“A 16-year-old. I want to make sure you remember these words so you understand how this policy works and affects our youth,” Sigcho-Lopez said. “A police officer was screaming at the father of a special education child, a 16-year-old Black teenager, ‘Your daughter is going to jail.’ Now, is this the type of policy that we want to see in our schools?
“It’s immoral. It’s wrong. There’s no justification,” he said. “People are watching. People are seeing our decisions. This is the time for you to make a decision. Not to be a rubber stamp for the mayor.”
While the meeting went on, a march and rally was being held downtown to support removing police from schools. It featured Dnigma’s father, Laurentio Howard.
Dowell, one of the aldermen speaking in favor of police, urged the board to “take a measured approach” and “not to make a rash decision” by ending the police contract because the officers in her South Side ward have been a good presence in schools, she said. Other aldermen argued officers offer important protection for students from outside danger.
“I can’t imagine what it would be like without having a law enforcement officer there to protect our kids as well as our teachers,” Curtis said. “Our teachers are already overworked, and they shouldn’t be responsible for teaching and protecting at the same time.”
Students need to feel safe physically and mentally, CPS CEO says
Jackson said at Wednesday’s board meeting that it’s clear there are real concerns that have to be addressed about having cops in school, and students have to feel safe both physically and mentally. But she still wants each school to decide for itself.
“I don’t believe that a top-down mandate makes sense in this situation,” Jackson said. “If this were an easy issue and cut and dried we wouldn’t be spending so much time on it today. There are just a lot of people who have different views about it.”
Survey: Community wants cops out, students split
Jadine Chou, head of CPS’ Office of Safety & Security, told the board that a survey administered in May showed almost all community members — about 85% — strongly opposed keeping officers in schools, while 90% of administrators wanted police to stay.
About half of the 3,200 kids surveyed wanted cops removed, but their opinions were spread across the spectrum of the issue, according to CPS’ survey.
A combined 2,100 parents and teachers, meanwhile, had stronger feelings on both sides, with a little more than half of each supporting school cops.
It wasn’t clear where the survey participants live or with which schools they’re affiliated.
Chou added that the district has responded to concerns in recent years, acknowledging there wasn’t enough oversight on the program in the past. New rules for police in schools call for officers not to be involved in school disciplinary issues, allow principals to choose their officers and include stricter background requirements and training for officers to work in schools.
“We’re just asking for everyone to be on this journey with us,” Chou said. “We’ve come a long way as a district. We recognize we have a way to go. But we feel like we are making progress.”
Also speaking during the online meeting was Marvin Hunter, great-uncle of Laquan McDonald, the Chicago teenager gunned down with 16 bullets by former CPD Officer Jason Van Dyke,
“I hear very compelling arguments for both sides, but the truth of the matter is, speaking as a lifelong resident of the city of Chicago, the optics of having police officers in the schools is not a good look from the perspective of the community,” Hunter told the board. “Most people have been traumatized in our community at one level or another by uniformed police officers.”
As for his nephew’s murder, Hunter said “just that action alone proves that police ... do not have the capacity to understand children, nor are they trained in that way.”
Another public participation speaker, Rebekah Fenton, a physician in Northwestern University’s Pediatrics Department, said she feels scared as a Black woman every time she comes across police officers, and that same fear is in Black and Brown students in schools every day.
“The school resource officer contract threatens the futures of Chicago’s youth,” Fenton said. “The mere presence of police in schools increases the risk of incarceration. Continuing this contract neglects and exacerbates the collective trauma of policing in Black and Brown communities both in and out of schools.”
Dozens of protesters stand off with Chicago police near Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s home demanding that the city defund the Chicago Police Department and make Chicago Public Schools police free, Tuesday, June 23, 2020. Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
Contributing: Manny Ramos


chicagosun-times--2020-06-24--Music Box Theatre will reopen in stages

Music Box Theatre will reopen in stages

One of Chicago ’ s grand movie palaces , the Music Box Theatre , is easing back into the business of showing movies to people in person .
Starting Friday , the theater at 3733 N. Southport Ave. will open its back garden for outdoor screenings for small crowds of 20 to 30 people .
Featured films will come out of the archives : the Prince musical “ Purple Rain ” this weekend , followed by the teen horror film “ I Know What You Did Last Summer ” July 3-5 .
Closed since March , the main auditorium will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s own 70mm print of “ 2001 : A Space Odyssey.
” In adherence to Gov .
J.B. Pritzker ’ s rules during Phase 4 of the state ’ s reopening , no more than 50 patrons at a time will be permitted in the 750-seat space .
The smaller , 72-seat theater will show current arthouse titles and will be available for rentals by groups of 20 or less .
Like most indie theaters closed during the pandemic , the Music Box has been presenting virtual screenings of new films and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by at-home viewers .

One of Chicago’s grand movie palaces, the Music Box Theatre, is easing back into the business of showing movies to people in person.
Starting Friday, the theater at 3733 N. Southport Ave. will open its back garden for outdoor screenings for small crowds of 20 to 30 people. Featured films will come out of the archives: the Prince musical “Purple Rain” this weekend, followed by the teen horror film “I Know What You Did Last Summer” July 3-5.
Closed since March, the main auditorium will open July 3 with the Music Box’s own 70mm print of “2001: A Space Odyssey.” In adherence to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s rules during Phase 4 of the state’s reopening, no more than 50 patrons at a time will be permitted in the 750-seat space.
The smaller, 72-seat theater will show current arthouse titles and will be available for rentals by groups of 20 or less.
Like most indie theaters closed during the pandemic, the Music Box has been presenting virtual screenings of new films and pocketing a portion of the fees paid by at-home viewers.