New Lawsuit Challenges Park Payment to Latin School – Oops, Too Late!
The law suit proved too late as the Park District has already secretly paid the Latin School back, despite a court settlement mandating public disclosure! Will the law breaking and arrogance at the Chicago Park District ever stop?
Our reaction:
The Park District performed one of its trademark slight of hand tricks on September 23 in the courtroom of Judge Arnold. When Clint Krislov, prominent class action attorney, representing the taxpayers of Chicago, presented his Petition to stop the payment of public money to the private Latin School and its contractors in furtherance of the secret and illegal Agreement to build Latin an artificial turf soccer field in Lincoln Park that was struck down by a previous court action, the Park District surprised everyone by saying it has already secretly paid Latin. No information was disclosed as to the amounts actually paid and all the recipients of the Park District largesse. The Park District was obligated by the earlier court settlement to publicly disclose a schedule of these payments.
In a perfunctory hearing, Judge Arnold then brushed aside the Krislov Petition accepting the position that it was too late to lock the barn door, although Krislov argued that the Park District should be enjoined from continuing to pay money for illegal no-bid construction contracts taken over from Latin.
Although the lawsuit will continue, on behalf of taxpayers, to pursue the moneys that were illegally paid to Latin and its contractors, the next legal step is an immediate application to the Appellate Court to overrule Judge Arnold and enter an injunction to prevent further waste of taxpayers money.
The original press release:
The Chicago Park District and the Latin School were sued again on September 22 in the Circuit Court of Cook County in another round of litigation arising as a consequence of the secretly negotiated deal to build a reserved use Latin School soccer field in Lincoln Park.
Today’s lawsuit is a Taxpayer’s Derivative action challenging any attempt of the Park District to pay public funds to the Latin School or its contractors for the illegal soccer field construction which was stopped in a previous court action filed by Protect Our Parks, the volunteer community watchdog organization.
The new lawsuit alleges that an Agreement of the Park District to pay Latin School over $ 1.35 million of public tax money as reimbursement for the Court voided original Latin Agreement is a violation of taxpayer’s constitutional rights and the Park District’s own rules with respect to public contracts.
The exclusive, private Latin School itself does not pay the real estate taxes which support maintenance and improvements in the park, which Latin School monopolizes as its private playground.
Protect Our Parks hailed the taxpayer action and repeated its contention that the Park District is trying to complete its private deal with Latin School, now with public money, and that three or four soccer fields could be build in needy underserved neighborhoods with the money that the Park District wants to give to Latin. If built, the Gold Coast Latin soccer field would become the most expensive soccer field in Chicago and crowd out all the open, clear and free public uses previously enjoyed in this park meadow.
The motion for a TRO (Temporary Restraining Order) to enjoin repayment to either Latin School or contractors will be heard on September 23 at 9:30 in Chancery Court, Daley Center, Room 2502, by Judge Arnold.
The End of Chapter One…
The Chicago Park District has spoken. At a special session of the board called solely to deal with the Latin School soccer field, commissioners unanimously voted to complete the soccer facility in Lincoln Park and repay the Latin School for its construction costs. WE MUST NOTE THAT THE DECISION TO REPAY THE LATINS SCHOOL WAS NOT COMPELLED BY OUR LAW SUIT – IT IS THE DECISION OF THE CITY TO DO SO.
At this meeting POP offered to raise finds to restore the site to a grass meadow but was rebuffed. POP board President read this statement. POP had gone to court earlier that morning protesting the special session as well as unauthorized work on the site from August 19 that violated our court order. The judge let both actions stand.
So, look for construction at the site to swiftly resume and conclude.
What’s next?
Protect Our Parks is not finished. We see a number of issues still unresolved with the Latin School Land Grab. For one, we don’t think the Latin School should be repaid since the contract that called for them to be repaid was corrupt and voided. The Park District is facing a $24 million deficit and looks to cut up to 300 jobs”. So where do they get the funds to lavish on this project, spawned by the Latin School – and which we think WILL STILL be the main beneficiary of it?
Next, we’ve been contacted by park groups around the city who are facing land grabs, privatizations and shady deals which end up freezing neighbors out of their own parks. We are working with these groups to get a full picture of park abuse and fashion a response.
Thank you to the thousands of people who have signed our petitions, emailed us and grabbed us in restaurants and on the streets to wish us well and urge us on. Also to the hundreds of donors who supported our legal fund – we could not have come this far without you! To all Chicagoans who love open space and good government and who detest cronyism and back-room deals – stay tuned – we’re not done fighting for you!
A local paper got it right with this headline. Lincoln Park is renamed Latin Park!
