{"id":30798,"date":"2025-10-23T18:53:51","date_gmt":"2025-10-23T23:53:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/2025\/10\/23\/cps-investigator-claims-she-was-fired-for-digging-into-politically-and-racially-charged-cases-lawsuit\/"},"modified":"2025-10-23T18:53:52","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T23:53:52","slug":"cps-investigator-claims-she-was-fired-for-digging-into-politically-and-racially-charged-cases-lawsuit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/chicago\/2025\/10\/23\/cps-investigator-claims-she-was-fired-for-digging-into-politically-and-racially-charged-cases-lawsuit\/","title":{"rendered":"CPS investigator claims she was fired for digging into politically and racially charged cases: lawsuit"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction to the Case<\/h2>\n

In a lawsuit filed Thursday that includes salacious details about investigations into Chicago Public Schools principals, a longtime school district investigator is alleging she was fired as she delved into politically and racially charged cases and refused to change reports, despite pressure from high-level officials.<\/p>\n

Background on the Investigation<\/h2>\n

In her lawsuit, Kelly Tarrant says that on June 17, she was going to interview a Local School Council member who works in an alderperson\u2019s office and is accused of wrongdoing. Instead, she was called into a teleconference with her CPS law department boss and told she was being suspended due to a complaint of discrimination and \u201cother serious misconduct.\u201d A few days after that meeting, she was given a severance agreement, which she alleged in a press conference Thursday, was \u201cdesigned to buy my silence.\u201d She didn\u2019t sign.<\/p>\n

Aftermath of the Suspension<\/h2>\n

A month later, after being removed from the CPS payroll and health insurance, \u201cshe acknowledged the obvious: she had been terminated from employment with CPS,\u201d according to the lawsuit. \u201cThe lawsuit filed today is about accountability,\u201d Tarrant said Thursday. \u201cIt is about what happens when an investigator within a public institution does her job too well and asks too many questions and follows the evidence where it leads. It is about the retaliation and obstruction that occurs when truth threatens power.\u201d<\/p>\n

Response from CPS<\/h2>\n

CPS, in a statement, said, \u201cin accordance with District policy, CPS does not comment on pending litigation.\u201d Former Chicago Principals and Administrators Association President Troy LaRaviere has been critical of Tarrant\u2019s investigations, saying they focus too much on proving accusations, rather than on discovering the truth.<\/p>\n

Details of the Investigations<\/h2>\n

Tarrant\u2019s lawsuit says the investigation into the LSC member was one of three \u201cpolitically sensitive\u201d investigations that her bosses knew she was working on. The lawsuit doesn\u2019t detail the other two, but says she believes that after she was fired those investigations were closed. The lawsuit charges that Tarrant\u2019s firing violated several laws, including ones that protect whistleblowers and people from being discriminated against by race or age. Tarrant is Latina.<\/p>\n

Investigation into Abdul Muhammad<\/h2>\n

The lawsuit says the principals association undertook a \u201cretaliatory campaign\u201d in response to her 2023 investigation into Abdul Muhammad, the Black principal at Lindblom High School, which it charged was racist. Tarrant says she was not allowed to respond and CPS did not defend against the charges of racism. She filed a complaint over this, first with the CPS Equal Opportunity Compliance Office and then, when she heard nothing about that complaint for two years, with the federal EEOC. After filing these complaints, Tarrant received the worst evaluation of her career at CPS and her report on the Lindblom principal was graded \u201cneeds improvement,\u201d according to the lawsuit.<\/p>\n

Former Lindblom Math and Science Academy Principal Abdul Muhammad (center) during a press conference to \u201cdemand justice for CPS principals\u201d in July 2023. On the left is former Chicago Principals and Administrators Association President Troy LaRaviere.<\/p>\n

Investigation into Gerald Morrow<\/h2>\n

Tarrant also claims in her lawsuit that there was inappropriate interference in another investigation into a Black principal. Like Lindblom\u2019s principal, Dunbar High School Principal Gerald Morrow was abruptly pulled from his post in 2022. The lawsuit says that Tarrant\u2019s investigation found Morrow converted the pool area at his school into a personal \u201csalon\u201d where he had a massage table on which he received massages and held parties, after which staff found liquor bottles and bikini swimsuits. She also found two of his LSC members listed a church as a residence and did not live in the attendance area.<\/p>\n

Allegations of Undue Influence<\/h2>\n

After issuing this report, Tarrant claims in her lawsuit that the then-general counsel told her that top administrators had gotten a call from an outside politician asking for leniency for the LSC members. In both these cases, the lawsuit accuses the Chicago Principals and Administrators Association of exerting undue influence. It also charges that CPAA influence caused \u201cCPS to change policy to bar removal of principals for misconduct.\u201d<\/p>\n

Response from LaRaviere<\/h2>\n

Former CPAA President LaRaviere has publicly taken aim at Tarrant\u2019s investigations. When contacted about the lawsuit, he called the investigation into the Lindblom principal the worst he has ever seen. He also defended the Dunbar principal, saying there was no video evidence of the parties and that the so-called massage table was actually a physical therapy table donated to the school\u2019s athletic program. LaRaviere said Tarrant never gave these principals a chance to defend themselves, nor was she open to evidence that they didn\u2019t commit wrongdoing.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n

The lawsuit filed by Kelly Tarrant against CPS highlights the complexities and challenges faced by investigators in public institutions, particularly when dealing with politically and racially charged cases. The allegations of undue influence, retaliation, and obstruction of justice are serious and warrant further investigation. As the case unfolds, it will be important to consider the implications for accountability, transparency, and the protection of whistleblowers in public institutions.<\/p>\n

FAQs<\/h2>\n