A scathing new report released this week paints a critical picture of the handling of sexual misconduct allegations by Chicago Public Schools.
The report, conducted by the Schiff-Hardin law firm, reveals system-wide failures in CPS’ attempts to keep students safe, and arrives just two weeks before students head back to class for the upcoming school year.
“(Schools) did not collect overall data to see trends in certain schools or across geographies or demographics,” the report says. “CPS failed to recognize the extent of the problem.”
The allegations that CPS mishandled allegations were initially raised earlier this year by the Chicago Tribune, and students like Walter Payton College Prep’s Morgan Aranda also sounded the alarm in hearings before lawmakers.
“Do you know what it’s like to be treated like a criminal when you are in fact the victim? I do,” she said.
The report says that CPS has sexual assault policies and procedures on its books, but “employees were not consistently trained on them, and there were no mechanisms to ensure that they were being uniformly implemented.”
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CPS CEO Janice Jackson says that the district is beginning to implement some of the report’s recommendations, including holding employees and vendors more accountable and re-doing background checks on more than 40,000 people.
“I am committed to doing everything within my power to make sure we keep our children safe,” Jackson said.
CPS is also making its new office of Student Protections the nerve center for all abuse complaints, and has launched an awareness campaign to let students know about programs that offer emotional and social support.
“I want parents to know that safety is of primary importance,” Jackson said. “I know that while we are an education institution, parents want to know their kids are safe in school.”
