Sun-Times: CPS’ handling of sexual abuse cases ‘tragic and inexcusable,’ feds say in ordering major overhaul

The issue of sex abuse in CPS is troubling especially with the many issues the public schools have faced. It's great that the feds are look at this issue to order a major overhaul of how Chicago Public Schools handles these issues.

Read more at the Sun-Times.

Sexual assaults in Greater Grand Crossing #6WardChicago

[VIDEO] The report you see above is Jim Williams of CBS 2 in Greater Grand Crossing at 77th & Langley talking about a string of sexual assualts in the area. Here's more from the Tribune:

Investigators believe one man may be responsible for all of the attacks, said Cmdr. Ozzie Valdez of the Area Central detective division. In each attack, the man lured the women to a secluded area. There was a conversation between the assailant and each woman before the assaults took place, Valdez said. During each assault, the assailant took out either a gun or a knife and stole the woman’s personal property.

“What we do ask is that everyone be cautious when they are out in that area … if they have to be out that they should be out with others and not be alone," Valdez said. They should try to be in areas that are well lit, and just be cognizant of their surroundings.

The attacks occurred on the:

• 7700 block of South Langley Avenue about 2 p.m. Friday.
• 7400 block of South King Drive about midnight Aug. 6.
• 7400 block of South Vernon Avenue about 5:30 a.m. July 25.
• 7600 block of South Evans Avenue around 5 a.m. July 12.

The man was described as African American, with black hair, 20 to 30 years old, 5-foot-8 to 6-foot-3 and 130 to 160 pounds. The man was last seen in the 6700 block of South Prairie Avenue, wearing a white T-shirt, blue shorts and gym shoes, according to police, who did not specify when he was seen on that block.

The first time I got wind of these assaults was from the instagram page for Alderman Sawyer. Great way of getting some necessary immediate updates.

View this post on Instagram

Please be alert & stay safe 🚨

A post shared by 6 Ward Chicago (@6wardchicago) on Aug 27, 2019 at 10:33am PDT

Capitol Fax: Paul Vallas has some explaining to do

Over the past summer, Chicago Public Schools had been rocked by allegations of sexual abuse of CPS students by volunteers or employees at their schools. And now we go back further, Rich Miller takes a look at stories where former schools CEO and 2019 mayoral candidate Paul Vallas chose not to act on allegations of abuse by an elementary school volunteer.

Paul Vallas has some explaining to do https://t.co/eoL68XzSY1

— Rich Miller (@capitolfax) September 13, 2018

Even though Vallas has been away from CPS since 2001, it seems the current scandals will touch him unless he's willing to adequately address it. Regardless, it seems the problem from over decade ago is almost similar to the scandals we know about today!

It's a shame! 

Chicago Public School system removes 2 principals amid investigation into how sexual abuse allegations handled

Simeon High School (8147 S Vincennes Ave) by Eric Allix Rogers

We've shared a few piece with regards to sexual abuse allegations within Chicago Public Schools. For our purposes we're just going to focus on the removal of the principal of nearby Simeon High School over sexual abuse allegations by a school volunteer:

Sheldon House, the principal of Simeon Career Academy, was removed amid a newly disclosed allegation of sexual abuse lodged against an unnamed school volunteer. District officials said that allegation was discovered during an audit of “systemic issues” in the school’s background check process.
...
“As a result of district-led investigations into allegations of sexual abuse, two CPS principals were removed from their positions today due to initial findings that suggest they did not effectively safeguard their students,” Chicago Public Schools CEO Janice Jackson said in a statement.

“Investigations into both cases remain ongoing, and we will keep the school communities updated as this process moves forward,” she said.

The district announced the administrators’ removal barely more than a day before a scheduled Chicago Board of Education vote to change how CPS investigates allegations of sexual misconduct by adults against students, as well as new practices that would require employees to inform child welfare authorities and supervisors of “any interactions or behaviors which suggest that an adult has or had an inappropriately intimate relationship with a child or may be grooming a child,” even if the employee does not have “reasonable suspicion” of whether any abuse occurred.
...
At Simeon, CPS officials said they launched an internal review of “management practices designed to keep students safe,” which occurred amid a Tribune investigation that documented the school’s failure to conduct a mandated criminal background check before making Gerald Gaddy an assistant coach of the boys wrestling and girls track teams starting in 2010.
...
CPS officials said the Simeon audit found “systemic issues” in the school’s handling of volunteer background checks, while uncovering an unspecified, new allegation of sexual abuse by an unidentified Simeon volunteer.

The recent allegation “was not handled in accordance with CPS policy,” according to the district. The volunteer is now barred from the school, and the allegation is under investigation.

CPS said it selected Patricia Woodson, a retired former principal, to lead the school until a new principal is selected by Simeon’s local school council.

 Hat-tip Newsalert

Capitol Fax: Lawmakers eviscerate CPS for sexual abuse of students at hands of teachers, staff

These hearings took place yesterday, read about it at the CapFax blog

Lawmakers eviscerate CPS for sexual abuse of students at hands of teachers, staff https://t.co/px3RKT1OyE

— Rich Miller (@capitolfax) June 20, 2018

Tribune editorial: US Senators give Emanuel a pass on CPS scandal

Found this editorial on the sex assault scandal within CPS via Newsalert:

Days after the Chicago Tribune began publishing stories of alarming and unreported sexual abuse and assault within Chicago Public Schools, Illinois’ two U.S. senators fired off letters demanding accountability and transparency.

But something — or rather someone — was missing from their missives. No mention of Mayor Rahm Emanuel. Must have been an oversight.

Instead of directing their concern at the person who actually oversees CPS, U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth sent letters to U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and Illinois schools Superintendent Tony Smith expressing their alarm and requesting more data collection at federal and state levels. By threading the needle carefully, they honed in on narrow aspects of the Tribune’s investigation that touched on state and federal data collection and transparency, not CPS’ failures.

Interesting.

Interesting indeed! Read the whole thing.

RELATED

• Capitol Fax: Suddenly, the mayor’s race looks very different
• Will Outrage Lead to Political Change in Chicago?

 

Will Outrage Lead to Political Change in Chicago?

If you followed our twitter feed over the weekend we shared a number of tweets with regards to an emerging sexual abuse scandal at Chicago Public Schools. I think one of those tweets has reports an incident that took place at nearby Simeon High School involving a track coach.

This tweet found at the Newsalert blog yesterday is from Dan Proft who offered his comments.

Is this enough? Is systemic sexual abuse of children in CPS enough for Chicagoans to hold their political leadership accountable for the first time in my lifetime? I ask because I honestly don't know the answer. https://t.co/1Pml7Oj594

— Dan Proft (@DanProft) June 6, 2018

The title for this post comes from the Newsalert blog and Steve Bartin added this simple statement "Don't bet on it". And I'm more in line with Dan Proft - who for those of you who don't know is a long-time Republican activist - neither of us knows the answer to that question.

It's very serious to talk about sexual abuse of public school students. And let's go further we're learning more and more about sexual harassment in state government. Just yesterday news broke of allegations of sexual harrassment towards state house speaker Madigan's chief of staff Tom Mapes which sparked Mr. Mapes to resign. Regardless who knows if this will result in long term political changes.

Important Community Meeting TONIGHT - 6pm at Chicago State

We just received the following e-mail from Michael LaFargue of the West Chesterfield Community Association. They are meeting TONIGHT, and the e-mail lists the details as to the importance of the meeting, and a crime where we need to be extra vigilant.

SEE THIS REPORT FROM ABC 7 CHICAGO regarding this incident - Levois

In addition with also have a community alert from the police, at this link -->  https://www.dropbox.com/s/07mgm0gyp5vf96o/CA-620-14-016%5B1%5D%205thDistrict%20CSA.pdf?dl=0

---

To: Community Leaders

From: WCCA1956

Re: EMERGENCY MEETING

Community Safety Alert Attached

As you are aware, a Chicago State University student was sexually assaulted at her automobile yesterday afternoon (Wednesday) at 98th and Indiana.

This occurrence is of grave concern to the community and Chicago State University.

I have been asked to contact Community Association presidents and other concerned leaders to a meeting in the office of President Wayne Watson to address this issue.

The meeting will be held this evening (Thursday) in the President’s office at Chicago State University, 9501 South King Drive at 6:00pm. (3rd Floor, Cook Administration Building.

Please adjust your schedule to attend and add your voice.

Thanking you in advance for your attention and attendance this evening.

Sincerely

Michael LaFargue

Photo of Abbott Park sexual assault suspect

We had a hard time getting this photo on the blog, but here is a photo of the sexual assault suspect.

And here is the news story from the Chicago Tribune:

Police issued a community alert this afternoon warning of a sexual assault in Abbott Park on the South Side in the city's Roseland neighborhood.



A woman was waiting for the bus on the 9500 block of South Michigan Ave between the hours of 2 to 6 a.m. on Aug. 18, A man approached her from behind and pulled her into Abbott Park where she was beaten and sexually assaulted.

Please be careful out there, but also watchful, so we can catch these crimnals!

Here's a description:

The man was described as black, between the ages of 24 to 33, between 5 feet 3 inches to 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighing 160 pounds, police said.

He has a medium complexion with brown eyes and a low cut Mohawk, police said.

He was last seen wearing a black long sleeve shirt and dark blue jeans.

If you have any info please contact Area South Bureau detectives at 312-747-8271.