Good morning, Evanston.
A District 65 teacher filed a complaint against the School Board and District officials on Tuesday. The 34-page complaint by Stacy Deemar contains three counts which allege that defendants treated her differently from her colleagues because of her race. Count I alleges that the Defendants violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Count II alleges Defendants violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Count III alleges Ms. Deemer was subjected to racial harassment.
Ms. Deemar is a drama teacher in District 65 and has been a teacher in the District since 2002. The complaint alleges that she identifies as white.
Defendants include the District 65 School Board; Dr. Devon Horton in his official capacity as Superintendent of the District; Dr. LaTarsha Green, in her official capacity as Deputy Superintendent; and Dr. Stacy Beardsley in her official capacity as Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction.
Interim Police Chief Aretha Barnes promoted Evanston Police Officers Tosha Wilson and Richard Tyson to the rank of sergeant on Tuesday. In Council Chambers of the Civic Center, City Clerk Stephanie Mendoza administered the oath of office and Mayor Daniel Biss thanked the officers for their service to the community.
Reminder: The State of Illinois automobile gas tax increases today by a half-penny to 39.2 cents per gallon from 38.7 cents per gallon.
Elsewhere on the RoundTable Website
‘Up From Down Home’: A Family’s Flight to Safety. An edgy confrontation with white co-workers on the way home from his job at a lumber mill in Greenville, Ala., made James “Pop” Simmons wary. A menacing night visit by other white men shortly afterward put him on high alert. But it was the frightening warning from a concerned white neighbor that made Mr. Simmons hurry his wife and four children to safety before packing up and heading north.
Rank and File | Evanston Players Win Awards at In-Person Chicago Open. Large in-person chess tournaments are back in the U.S! After a year off, the Chicago Open was held during Memorial Day weekend at the Westin North Shore in Wheeling where 550 players competed for $60,000 in prizes. While the biggest winner was Grandmaster Dariusz Swiercz in the Open section, a number of Evanstonians played successfully in the rating-limited sections, with several winning awards.
Summer Jubilee 2021 Celebrates Black Excellence. Evanston community members enjoyed an afternoon of music, food, and games at the Summer Jubilee 2021. Presented by Our Village The Black Evanstonian in partnership with Jennifer’s Edibles, the event was held at Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center on June 26.
COVID-19 Update on June 30: No New Cases in Evanston, 259 in the State. The City of Evanston reported no new COVID-19 cases yesterday and only one new case in the last seven days. The number of new cases per 100,000 has fallen in Evanston over the past several weeks. A total of 4,654 COVID-19 cases have been reported among Evanston residents during the pandemic, three of which are active.
City Announces 2021 Independence Day Holiday Facility and Service Schedules. The City of Evanston announced service and facility schedules for the Independence Day holiday, Sunday, July 4, observed this year on Monday, July 5.
Around the Web
- The 8 most unique day trips from Chicago. From spotting bison at the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie located just south of Joliet to touring modernist architecture in Columbus, Indiana, these destinations are a short drive away.
- Ida B. Wells Monument Dedicated In Bronzeville. The sculpture “Light of Truth,” the first monument to honor a Black woman in Chicago, was installed earlier in June and dedicated Wednesday to the journalist and activist.
- Illinois passes Name, Image and Likeness legislation allowing student athletes to profit off their image. Northwestern Wildcat, Illini and other college athletes can now profit off their image starting today after Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law a bill earlier this week.
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