Stories by Matt Masterson

A Champaign County judge dismissed the lawsuit against a pair of University of Illinois social workers, each of whom interviewed Brendt Christensen weeks before he kidnapped Zhang and killed her inside his Champaign apartment in June 2017.

With the possibility of remote learning returning this fall, Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Thursday announced the launch of a $50 million program that will provide free high-speed internet to students over the next four years.

Chicago Public Schools will continue to utilize school resource officers in some of its high schools, after a motion to terminate the district’s $33 million contract with the Chicago Police Department was voted down Wednesday.

“As a school community, we champion diversity, inclusion, and understanding, and it's essential that we live up to these ideals in all possible ways," Lane Tech Principal Brian Tennison said in a letter to families Tuesday.

The Cook County Public Defender’s Office and several activist groups are suing the city of Chicago, accusing the police department of “disappearing” detainees by preventing them from making phone calls after their arrest.

Chicago Public Schools could become the latest major school district to pull police officers from its school buildings amid nationwide calls for police reform in the wake of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last month.

“This is a critical time in history and for law enforcement,” independent monitor Maggie Hickey said in a statement. “It is my hope that the current momentum around police accountability will inspire the City and the CPD to accelerate its efforts.”

CPS on Thursday announced it had laid off 703 employees, including 286 teachers, as part of its annual staffing adjustments, which the district said are caused by declining enrollment, changing student demographics and programmatic changes.

The case stems from a yearslong battle between the city of Chicago and the Fraternal Order of Police, which has argued that its collective bargaining agreement requires complaint files be destroyed after five years.

Steven McGee, a reputed gang member, allegedly opened fire on a car full of uniformed Chicago police officers, striking one in the leg, as they attempted to arrest him in Bronzeville on Monday for a previous aggravated assault.

Public school districts in Minneapolis, Denver and Seattle have recently suspended or outright terminated their contracts with local police departments. Could Chicago Public Schools be next?

“It is time, actually, it is way past time, for this change in our state,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Thursday, adding that she'd already directed her legal team to begin drafting legislation to be presented in Springfield.

Jonathan Ballew, a credentialed journalist who has worked with multiple local media outlets, filed a federal lawsuit Thursday claiming he was “assaulted with a chemical agent” during the May 30 protests in River North.

Oprah. Cubs. White Sox. Blackhawks. “Hamilton.” These are a few of the teams and celebrities who will help send off the class of 2020 during Chicago’s citywide virtual graduation this weekend.

The daughter of Indonesian immigrants, Chasity Kasir said the traits of hard work and respect were instilled in her from a young age. This weekend, she’ll graduate from Richard T. Crane Medical Preparatory High School at the top of her class.

A Chicago police officer who was caught on camera last week extending his middle fingers toward peaceful protesters has been relieved of his police powers, days after Mayor Lori Lightfoot called for him to be fired.

As the number of COVID-19 cases decline at the Cook County Jail, Sheriff Tom Dart announced Monday he would resume allowing in-person family visits for detainees for the first time in months.

The Chicago Police Department’s latest crime figures show a 20% reduction in overall crime in May 2020 compared to last year. But year-to-date totals show an increase in shootings (30%) and homicides (25%) compared with the same time frame last year.

“Yeah we’re not gonna do that,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said during a Friday morning press conference when asked if she would consider canceling CPS’ existing contract with the Chicago Police Department. “Unfortunately, we need security in our schools.”

Speaking on National Gun Violence Awareness Day, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said Friday there has been a marked increase in gun violence in 2020, despite a stay-at-home order that was in place statewide for more than two months during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to a new study, cycling through Cook County Jail — a facility once dubbed the “largest-known source” of COVID-19 in the U.S. — is associated with roughly 16% of all documented cases of the virus in Illinois and Chicago through mid-April.

Cook County prosecutors claim Michael Mangan, 36, broke a total of 82 windows at a Northwest Side elementary school, valued at $16,400, and did so because “the school ruined his life.”

In an address Tuesday night, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot outlined reforms based on improving police training, officer wellness and community relations she said are “critical to resolving our crisis.”

Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she made the decision only after speaking with business owners, chambers of commerce and city officials, all of whom she said were fully behind moving into phase three of the state’s Restore Illinois plan.

A 28-year-old man who took part in weekend protests in Chicago and Minneapolis is facing federal criminal charges after he allegedly handed out explosives and encouraged others to “light that b***h and throw it” at police officers.

Referencing Chicago’s own “dark days” with police violence, the mayor said additional training and improved relationships between officers and the community are needed following protests and looting across the city.