Evanston 2021 In Review: City Hall Turnover, School Controversy

Evanston IL

30 December, 2021

6:01 PM

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EVANSTON, IL — As a year that began with the rollout of COVID-19 vaccine comes to a close amid the spread of a new variant, let's take a look back at some of the biggest non-coronavirus related stories of 2021 in Evanston. The city made international headlines after the City Council voted to approve the first allocation of funding from the city's first-in-the-national municipal reparation program, which is set to provide $25,000 grants to 16 Black people who lived in Evanston between 1919 and 1969. The year saw turnover at the Civic Center, with a new mayor, new City Council and the resignation of the city manager and several other senior officials. Taxpayers continued to pay some departed staffers for months after their negotiated departure, some of which were triggered by a probe of the handling of allegations of rampant sexual harassment and abuse among girls and women working in the city's parks department. Local schools were involved in several novel legal battles this year. A former Northwestern University cheerleader alleged the school's athletic department engages in sex trafficking involving donations, while a part-time District 65 drama teacher alleged she faced racist discrimination as a white woman. At Evanston Township High School, Patch investigated the unexplained and continuing paid administrative leave of senior human resources officials, a mysterious fraud and monthslong hack that administrators did not disclose to the public and the internal district investigation that cleared a coach of wrongdoing in response to complaints from female students before his arrest on a child seduction charge in Indiana. ETHS district staff also claim to have no records of how much was paid to settle a federal civil rights lawsuit on its behalf. And while 2021 began with confirmation that Evanston's only movie theater had closed for good after it successfully argued that Gov. J.B. Pritzker's stay-at-home order had made it illegal to operate a movie theater, the Glencoe developer under contract to buy Church Street Plaza expects movies will be screened again in early 2022. Sexual Harassment Rampant At Evanston Lakefront, Staff Warned A July report detailing allegations of sexual misconduct against female beach staff led to the negotiated resignation of senior city officials. Four female lakefront employees submitted a petition to city staff in July 2020 containing anonymous allegations of sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, sexism, racism and discrimination by beach staff. (Jonah Meadows/Patch, File) Then: Lakefront Sexual Harassment Petition Not Shared By Staff, Mayor Says; Sexual Harassment Allegations Trigger 'Impartial Investigation' Sex Harassment Scandal Probe Assigned To Outside FirmSeverance Approved, City Manager Erika Storlie To ResignEvanston Parks Director Withdraws After Appointment In MichiganLongtime Evanston Parks Department Staffer Exits For LincolnwoodEx-HR Chief Pockets Payout To Resign Amid Investigation First Evanston Reparations Fund Initiative: $25K Housing Grants Aldermen voted to spend $400,000 out of $10 million in pledged cannabis tax revenue to homeownership assistance for Black residents. Descendants of Black residents of Evanston between 1919 and 1969, and those that experienced house discrimination since then, can apply, starting this summer, for $25,000 housing grants from the Evanston Local Reparations Fund Restorative Housing Program. (Shutterstock) Then: Evanston Reparations Program Applications Open For First Time Evanston Primary Election: Biss Elected Mayor, Incumbents Ousted The former state legislator became the 22nd mayor in the city's history after earning more than enough votes to avoid a runoff. The 81st Evanston City Council included four new aldermen, a new mayor and a new city clerk. (Jonah Meadows/Patch) Evanston 'Dark Money PAC' Launches Attack Ads In Aldermanic Races The outgoing mayor's messages mirror that of the new group. The incoming mayor described the campaign as "misleading and counterproductive." More: Evanston Together LLC Violated Campaign Finance Laws, Filing SaysNew Evanston City Council Hits Ground Running At First Meeting Evanston Cinemark Movie Theater Closes After Escaping Lease More than a dozen cinema operators hoped for an opportunity to replace the Evanston Century 21 Theater.Then: Rock Climbing Wall Could Join 'Rightsized' Evanston Theater Movies are set to return to downtown Evanston by early 2022, according to the developer under contract to purchase Church Street Plaza. (CBRE) 'White Victimhood': Teacher's Critical Race Theory Suit Condemned Dozens of demonstrators gathered at James Park in July to denounce a lawsuit filed last month by District 65 drama teacher Stacy Deemar. More than 100 people protested in support of Evanston/Skokie School District 65's anti-racist curriculum and training. (Photo courtesy Yancey Hughes Photography) Read More: 'Anti-Racist' Teaching Is Racist, Unconstitutional, District 65 Teacher Alleges; Racist Voicemail, Vandalism Follow Teacher's Lawsuit, District Says; Drama Teacher's Discrimination Suit Falls 'Woefully Short': D-65 Northwestern University Cheerleaders Forced Into 'Commercial Sex Acts': Suit A Northwestern cheerleader says the university and athletic department staff violated Title IX and anti-human trafficking laws.Then: Northwestern University Names Mike Polisky As Athletic Director; Faculty Protest Polisky Hiring; Newly Appointed Athletic Director Resigns Evanston Police End Hourslong Murder Spree That Began In Hyde Park Bodycam and dashboard videos show officers open fire on a suspected spree shooter in January.More: Evanston Woman Identified As Victim In 'Random' Shooting Spree Skokie To Pay Evanston Over $4.2 Million In Unpaid Water Bills Village officials said in April they had been planning all along on paying the money eventually.After: Evanston, Skokie Cut Water Deal After Years Of Liquid Litigation 'ETHS Could Have Done Better' Handling Misconduct Allegations, Superintendent Admits Superintendent Eric Witherspoon said his administration's response to complaints about a color guard coach is being "closely re-examined." After:ETHS Defrauded Of Over $48,000 In 'Hack' That Exposed More Than 1,100 IdentitiesStudent Board Representative Criticizes Handling Of Complaints About Color Guard CoachArrested Coach Faced Complaints But Cleared Of Wrongdoing At ETHSSenior Human Resources Staff Put On Leave At Evanston Township High SchoolETHS Employee Charged With Child Seduction At Northwest Indiana SchoolNew Allegations Added To ETHS Security Guard Sex Assault Lawsuit Evanston Kindergarten Teacher Meghan Rice Wins Golden Apple Award The Willard Elementary School teacher is one of 10 winners of the prestigious award for Illinois educators. Willard Elementary School kindergarten teacher Meghan Rice was named one of 10 winners of the 2021 Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching in May. (Jonathan Aguilar/via Golden Apple Foundation)