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Nine Defendants Found ‘Not Guilty’ for Opposing School Bureaucrats’ Demolition of Beloved Public School Library and Community Center


 

Chicago defendants fought criminal trespass charges for trying to stop stealth demolition at Whittier Elementary’s La Casita fieldhouse on August 17, 2013.

CHICAGO—(ENEWSPF)–December 6, 2013: A Cook County Circuit Court Judge found nine defendants not guilty this morning of criminally trespassing on public school land when they tried to defend Whittier Elementary’s fieldhouse library and community center — La Casita — from demolition on August 17, 2013. Charges against a tenth defendant were tossed out earlier this year.

“Chicago Public Schools on August 17 rushed to demolish the library and parent center housed in La Casita, denying the children of Whittier Elementary a library – yet again,” said Norine Gutekanst, one of the arrestees and a CTU Organizing Department coordinator who used to teach at Whittier. “Today over 190 schools in Chicago have no library – including over 52% of our high schools!  Our acquittal affirms the right of teachers, parents and community members to stand up against injustice in the face of CPS’ disregard of our students.”

The defendants were among more than a dozen people arrested on August 16 and August 17 for trying to prevent the demolition of the fieldhouse and former classroom space, which had served for three years as a library and educational center for the chronically under-resourced Pilsen school’s students and larger community. Three Chicago Public School superintendents had promised parents and students that the building would not be demolished.

“This is an important victory for La Casita’s defenders,” said former Whittier parent Lisa Angonese, who was in court Friday morning to support the defendants. “We’re currently trying to find an alternative space for La Casita, and we’re still demanding that more than half a million dollars in TIF funds that the CPS and Alderman Solis promised to us – but never delivered – go to fund our effort.”

Parents won that funding commitment from CPS brass and 25th Ward Alderman Daniel Solis in 2010, after a 43-day occupation by parents and allies to oppose earlier schemes to demolish the field house and replace it with a soccer field. Alderman Solis was reported at the time to be open to allowing the proposed soccer field to be used by a private high school, Cristo Rey, across the street from the school, despite the existence of other fields at nearby public school and park land.

Since the 2010 parents’ occupation, La Casita had been home to after-school programs, a library that received book donations from across the nation, computers donated for student use, and classes and programs for youth, parents and neighborhood residents. Demolishing the building on the eve of a new school year destroyed a vital educational resource for the neighborhood school and its largely low-income, Latino students.

Parents, students, teachers and community residents first learned of CPS’ demolition scheme Friday evening, August 16, when volunteers showed up to host an evening dance class at La Casita. They found hired contractors on site getting ready to demolish La Casita literally under cover of darkness without a demolition permit; the contractors at first claimed they were conducting asbestos removal – not demolition – even though they were clearly not following strict asbestos removal protocols. Alderman Solis publicly admitted on WTTW on August 19 that he knew of demolition plans and kept them secret from parents and volunteers because he expected they would oppose the demolition.

School officials and Alderman Solis are scheduled to open the new athletic field on La Casita’s land on December 9.

Source: La Casita Parent Youth Center / El Comite de Padres de Whittier

 


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