Board of Education Approves $17.5 M Settlement in Sexual Abuse Case
The Chicago Board of Education agreed to a $17.5 million settlement only a few hours before a trial that was going to be held in connection with a sexual abuse allegation against a former dean of Chicago Public Schools. Due to the nature of the accusations, the case had become the center of a lot of attention. The settlement was submitted to be exchanged for the trial, thus indicating the board’s decision to solve the issue outside the court.
The approval by the board after their deliberations indicates the very nature of the case, which they dealt with both promptly and sensitively. The very moment before the trial suggests that the board was looking for a final, albeit expensive, solution instead of risking the occurrence of a public trial. This settlement is a turning point for students, parents, and the community at large, leaving behind the dark times that questioned the trust and safety of the educational institutions.
It is possible that the board’s action will open the way for such incidents to be handled differently in the future, thereby raising questions about the victim’s rights to be heard, and justice to be served. Therefore, by executing this settlement, the board says goodbye to the issue but keeps the matter of institutional dependence and the eventual regaining of trust in school leadership still open.
This result is a call to implement strong safeguarding policies in education and serves as a warning of the costs (both monetary and in terms of reputation) if these policies are not complied with.