Stories by Matt Masterson
What Chicago Families Need to Know About Teachers Strike
| Matt Masterson
How will a possible walkout affect classrooms, building access and after-school activities across the city?
Lawmakers Urge AG Raoul to Investigate College Board for Selling Student Data
| Matt Masterson
A group of Democratic Illinois lawmakers believes the group behind the SAT and Advanced Placement exams may be violating state law by selling student data to colleges, universities and scholarship providers.
Watchdog Report: Chicago Police Parked for Free at Bears, Cubs Games
| Matt Masterson
Chicago police officers used department-issued parking placards to park illegally at sporting events and allowed friends and family to use those placards as well, according to a new report from the city’s inspector general.
Report: Defense Attorneys Laud Shift to ‘Fairness and Accountability’ Under Kim Foxx
| Matt Masterson
Twenty-eight defense attorneys were interviewed for a new report, which claims Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx has reversed some of the “tough-on-crime” policies that previously existed in her office.
Lightfoot Expresses ‘Significant Concern’ As Teachers Strike Looms
| Matt Masterson
With the clock ticking down toward a potential teachers strike, Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Monday expressed her “significant concern” that Chicago Teachers Union leadership isn’t participating properly in ongoing contract negotiations.
‘Driving Force’ Behind Murder of 9-Year-Old Tyshawn Lee Guilty of Murder
| Matt Masterson
While he didn’t fire the fatal shots that killed 9-year-old Tyshawn Lee, prosecutors say Corey Morgan was the “driving force” behind the boy’s execution in 2015. On Friday, Morgan was found guilty of murder for his role in one of Chicago’s most horrific crimes.
Gunman Guilty in Brutal Slaying of 9-Year-Old Tyshawn Lee
| Matt Masterson
Dwright Boone-Doty has been found guilty of murder in what remains one of the most shocking and horrific murders in Chicago’s recent history.
New Evidence Will Clear Marni Yang of Gruesome 2007 Murder, Attorneys Claim
Yang convicted of killing Rhoni Reuter, pregnant girlfriend of former Chicago Bears star Shaun Gayle
| Matt Masterson
It’s been more than eight years since the Chicago real estate agent was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Rhoni Reuter, the pregnant lover of former Chicago Bears star Shaun Gayle. Marni Yang’s attorney is now calling for a new trial.
Man Falsely Convicted of 1993 Murder Says He Was Framed by Former Police Detective
| Matt Masterson
Geraldo Iglesias spent 16 years in prison for a murder he didn’t commit. Now he’s suing the city of Chicago and a disgraced former police detective who he claims set him up.
Special Prosecutor in Smollett Case Reveals He Made Campaign Contribution to Kim Foxx
| Matt Masterson
Veteran attorney Dan Webb, who was appointed last month to review actor Jussie Smollett’s criminal case, said he has no recollection of making a $1,000 contribution to Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx in 2016.
Chicago Police Department Unveils New Dashboard Tracking Use of Force Reports
| Matt Masterson
The new online dashboard makes public every police incident that involved some sort of force – anything from a firearm discharge to taser use to physical force – dating back to 2015.
Police: Teen’s Report of Kidnapping, Sexual Abuse in Wicker Park ‘Unfounded’
| Matt Masterson
A 13-year-old girl claimed she’d been kidnapped, beaten and sexually abused on the city’s North Side on Tuesday. Police say the incident never happened.
CTU, CPS Leaders Offer Contract Updates as Strike Authorization Results Loom
| Matt Masterson
The head of Chicago Public Schools remains confident a strike can be avoided, but on the eve of a key vote, Chicago Teachers Union leaders say they’re ready for a work stoppage if they can’t get written assurances on staffing and class sizes.
Class-Action Suit Says Chicago’s Lack of Blind-Accessible Crossing Signals Violates ADA
| Matt Masterson
Less than 1% of Chicago crosswalks have accessible pedestrian signals. A new lawsuit filed against the city claims that’s indicative of a “systemic failure.”
Attempted Murder Charges Filed Against Man Accused of Shooting CPD Officer, Woman
| Matt Masterson
Michael Blackman, 45, was charged Monday with five counts of attempted murder. He remains hospitalized after he was shot multiple times by arresting officers over the weekend.
Kim Foxx Hopes to ‘Right Wrongs of the Past’ With Pot Expungements
| Matt Masterson
A new partnership between the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and a nonprofit could help clear tens of thousands of low-level marijuana convictions from Cook County records. State’s Attorney Kim Foxx explains.
CPS Ordered to Overhaul Sexual Violence Policies After Scathing Federal Review
| Matt Masterson
One of the most comprehensive investigations undertaken by federal authorities revealed widespread violations in the way Chicago Public Schools handles and investigates sexual violence cases. “The findings were deeply disturbing,” one federal education official said. “We cannot permit this to recur in Chicago or anywhere else.”
Janice Jackson: Trauma is a ‘Fact of Life’ for Many CPS Students
| Matt Masterson
The Chicago Public Schools CEO took to the nation’s capital Wednesday to call for additional federal resources for local programming that helps students process and heal from violence.
Judge Rejects Decorum Order in Marlen Ochoa-Lopez Murder Case
| Matt Masterson
A Cook County judge has rejected a so-called gag order in the case of a mother and daughter who allegedly murdered pregnant teen Marlen Ochoa-Lopez and cut the baby from her womb.
UChicago Among Top 10 ‘Best Colleges’ in 2020 Rankings from US News
| Matt Masterson
The Hyde Park university maintained its position as one of top institutions in the nation – and the best in Illinois – according to the just-released 2020 rankings from U.S. News and World Report.
Head of Suburban Autism Center Charged in $3M Fraud Scheme
| Matt Masterson
Latrice Harrell, executive director of The Champion Center for Autism Inc., faces the possibility of decades in prison after allegedly submitting $3 million in fraudulent insurance claims over the course of three years.
Aldermen, Advocates Want City Tax to Support Homeless Students, Families
| Matt Masterson
More than 16,000 CPS students dealt with some form of homelessness last school year. Now, Chicago aldermen and a local nonprofit are calling on Mayor Lori Lightfoot to support what they believe could be an “immediate solution.”
Jussie Smollett’s Attorneys Detail Why Civil Suit Should Be Tossed
| Matt Masterson
Attorneys for the former “Empire” actor claim that simply filing a police report doesn’t typically result in an investigation as extensive as the one Chicago police undertook earlier this year, which cost $130,000.
CPS Unveils Englewood STEM High School After Controversial Closures
| Matt Masterson
On Tuesday, Chicago Public Schools will welcome the inaugural class of students to Englewood STEM High School, 18 months after the district voted to close four other local high schools.
Police Sgt. Sues City, Eddie Johnson Over Alleged Cheating on Department Exam
| Matt Masterson
Sgt. James Prah Jr. claims he’s being “intimidated into silence” by Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson and his wife because he reported their alleged involvement in a purported cheating scheme during a departmental exam.
Illinois AG Seeking Additional Time to Hand Out Suburban Express Refunds
| Matt Masterson
The Illinois attorney general’s office has been so inundated with payment requests stemming from its consent decree with a former Champaign-based bus operator that they’ve asked a federal judge to amend the agreement itself.
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