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Jennifer Baez said her son Jordan had been slapped, pushed and taunted by a classmate since the first week of fifth grade. Baez said her husband frequently spoke with school staff members, but the student continued to target her son. So when her husband told her of a new bullying incident, Baez decided she’d “had enough.”
Baez immediately headed to Columbus Elementary. She said she called 911 in front of the school employee who had intervened between the two boys.
What transpired next led to Columbus’ principal effectively banning both Baez and her husband from Columbus until the school year ended. The couple received a letter informing them they violated visitor protocol by engaging in “inappropriate and unacceptable conduct,” according to a copy shared with the Tribune.
It’s unclear how many of these parent restriction notices principals have issued, as Chicago Public Schools says it’s not centrally tracked, but the district says it’s only done after a serious disruption — such as behavior that’s threatening or abusive. There is no Chicago Board of Education policy regarding these letters, and there is no explicit recourse for parents who receive one.
— Tracy Swartz
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An attorney who represents the parents of the man charged with murder in the Highland Park mass shooting on the Fourth of July said they have been cooperating with the law enforcement investigation of the shooting.
In response to concerns that Robert “Bobby” Crimo III’s father sponsored him for a firearm owner’s identification card, attorney George Gomez said, “We still take the position at the time the father (Robert Crimo Jr.) consented to the FOID application, that he was not aware that the son was a danger to anyone else or himself.”
Scammers targeting Highland Park mass shooting victims, attorney general says
Gov. J.B. Pritzker is ending Illinois’ COVID-19 vaccine mandate for college students and faculty and easing some testing requirements for unvaccinated health care workers, changes that come despite growing concerns about new coronavirus variants that appear more able to evade immunity.
Federal health officials this week unveiled a strategy for attempting to manage the highly transmissible omicron subvariants that now make up the majority of cases nationally and doctors have urged a renewed sense of vigilance.
Highly transmissible BA.5 omicron variant: ‘Worst variant yet’
Officer accused of punching activist at 2020 Columbus statue protest resigns; COPA releases findings
A Chicago police officer accused of punching activist Miracle Boyd two years ago at a large protest has resigned, officials said, as the Civilian Office of Police Accountability released its report on the incident Wednesday.
The officer, Nicholas Jovanovich, resigned in April, according to the Chicago Police Department. He resigned about a month after Superintendent David Brown unsuccessfully argued for leniency in the case, suggesting a one-year suspension to the Chicago Police Board.
As Derrick Rose was ascending to NBA greatness, 25 minutes away, a young girl in Gary was watching and modeling her game after his. She admired his speed and explosiveness, the way he would drive to the basket. She even would choose the same jersey number as Rose — No. 1 — and later in her career would choose No. 11 to be close to her inspiration.
More than a decade later, that young girl from Gary made her WNBA debut. “I loved everything he did,” Chicago Sky guard Dana Evans told the Tribune.
Eric Williams’ Silver Room Block Party is back for the 17th year at a new South Side location
What started as a block party to bring dozens of Silver Room customers together to celebrate arts and culture grew into an event for thousands in Chicago over 17 years.
Now the Silver Room Sound System Block Party is back after a two-year pandemic hiatus in a new location — moving from 53rd Street in Hyde Park to 39th Street Oakwood Beach July 16-17.
