Federal prosecutors asked a judge to seal information associated with the Chicago Public School scandal that led to the resignation of CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett.
Byrd-Bennett pleaded guilty to charges that she manipulated contracts for her former employer, SUPES Academy, in exchange for the promise of more than $2 million in kickbacks. Gary Solomon and Thomas Vranas, co-defendants and founders of SUPES Academy, are still awaiting trial.
As part of the continuing case, defense attorneys for Solomon and Vranas are entitled to voluminous amounts of evidence. But in filings Tuesday, prosecutors told Judge Edmund Chang that the evidence included “sensitive information, whose unrestricted dissemination could adversely affect law enforcement interests, and the privacy interests of third parties.”
As part of her plea agreement, Byrd-Bennett is cooperating with the government. While the motion states that the defense is in agreement with the request for secrecy, a hearing on the matter has been set for next Monday.
