Disappeared News: CBS: Chicago school CEO, now Obama’s education chief, tolerated massive abuse in his schools

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

CBS: Chicago school CEO, now Obama’s education chief, tolerated massive abuse in his schools

by Larry Geller

Chicago seems to have normalized a culture of torture and abuse. Routine police torture in Chicago’s jails has recently broken into the news, including an article last week, Sources: U.S. widens probe of Chicago police torture (Chicago Tribune news services, 2/3/2009).

Now, a local CBS affiliate has put the spotlight on US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. It seems he failed to terminate perpetrators in 96% of the verified cases of abuse while he was in charge of Chicago schools.

CBS 2 informed former Chicago Public School CEO Arne Duncan of our investigative findings shortly before he was promoted to U.S. Secretary of Education. "If someone hits a student, they are going to be fired. It's very, very simple," Duncan said.

Before heading to Washington, he vowed to take action. "Any founded allegation where an adult is hitting a child, hitting a student - they're going to be gone," Duncan said.

But that's not what happened under Duncan's watch. Of the 568 verified cases, only 24 led to termination. . .

And another student was given "100 licks with a belt." The abuse was substantiated, but the records show the teacher was not terminated.
…
There is a state law that bans corporal punishment. But as our 2 Investigators first exposed in September - students are being hit by coaches too. Paddles were confiscated, and CBS 2 exposed gym security tape at Simeon Career Academy showing a coach paddling volleyball players reportedly for missing serves.

Duncan has already assumed his position. It’s just another bad mark against Obama’s choices to help him lead the country.

Maybe Obama ran for president just to get himself out of Illinois.