CHICAGO STORIES OCTOBER

TRUE COLORS

The protestors at Occupy Chicago divided themselves into three color-coded groups.  Those who did not want to be arrested wore red.  Undecided members donned yellow, and green for those who were willing to remain behind and go to jail. My friend Lisa said she had some suburban friends who went.  They designated themselves as pinks—hang out for a few hours and then have lunch with Daddy in the Walnut Room at Macy’s.

WHO ARE YOU?

I read a story on the blog of The National Law Journal about a lawsuit filed by Thomas M. Cooley Law School against an anonymous student blogger, Rockstar05, (who has since transferred) who wrote bad things about the school.

"The blogger's statements damage our reputation because today's law school applicant looks online for information about the law schools he or she may attend," said Cooley Associate Dean for Legal Affairs and General Counsel James Thelen. "As a law school that emphasizes professionalism and ethics, we are particularly harmed by false statements that are dishonest."

 The blogger is now in a court battle with his former law school, who wants to publicly reveal who he is and sue him for defamation.

What’s the worst that could happen to him?  Maybe the same sentence that Trevor Blackaan, a former legislative assistant for then-Senator Kit Bond of Missouri recently received from U.S. District Court Judge Richard Roberts.  Blackaan had taken thousands of dollars in illegal gifts from lobbyists.  Naturally, he did not declare the money on his income tax returns, so he pled guilty to filing a false return.  After he got caught back in 2008, he helped prosecutors nail others.

His sentence?  FIVE HOURS in a cell block!

I think I could do that amount of time.

SOME FRIENDS

This picture is amazing.  When you go to the actual picture, you can put your cursor on any individual picture and click for their bio.  You have to look closely to find me.

GOING TO MECCA

The U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday ruled that it had settled a religious discrimination lawsuit against the Berkeley School District, in Chicago’s west suburbs.  The  district has to pay $75,000 in lost back pay, compensatory damages and attorneys’ fees to Safoorah Khan, a teacher at MacArthur Middle School who had been denied an unpaid leave of absence when she wanted to leave school for three weeks to perform hajj.  Hajj is a pilgrimage to Mecca required once in a Moslem’s lifetime. The settlement also requires the district to provide mandatory training on religious accommodations to all board of education members and school supervisors.

I am thoroughly confused about this.  If Khan wanted to go to Mecca, why couldn’t she go during the school’s summer vacation?  She would have two months off then.  Why go during the regular school year?  It seems like she was almost looking for trouble by demanding the time off during the regular.  Maybe she was in the green color coded group.  (Green because those were the ones looking for trouble…)