Chicago Public Schools CEO Forrest Claypool resigned after a report by the schools' office of the inspector general concluded that he and General Counsel Ronald Marmer violated the Code of Ethics when they improperly used “contract management authority," according to a Chicago Tribune report.
The “contract management authority” was over work done by Jenner Block with whom Marmer had a prior business relationship, the report said. Inspector General Nicholas Schuler said Claypool covered up the fact that he changed financial records to hide a conflict of interest between him and Marmer.
The report found that Marmer and Claypool were given time to correct their actions after CPS Ethics Adviser Andra Gomberg, Deputy General Counsel Ruchi Verma and then Senior Assistant General Counsel Andrew Slobodien and Law Department attorney Joseph Moriarty first alerted them of the Code of Ethics violation.
However, Marmer and Claypool did not listen to Gomberg’s advice, instead choosing to seek counsel from two lawyers outside the business, the report said. When questioned by former Board of Education General Counsel Patrick Rocks and labor law attorney James Franczek, Claypool refused to let Marmer end his role with Jenner because he did not want the matter to go public, the report said.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel supported Claypool, who has held the CEO post since 2015, but realized he could no longer do so approximately 48 hours before Claypool resigned, according to CBS 2 News in Chicago. Claypool also realized he could not stay as CEO when he did not receive the support of people who worked with him in the past, including two Democrats running for attorney general.
“The inequity cited in the article are exactly the ones I was attacking,” Claypool said Dec. 8 in announcing his resignation. “I made serious errors in judgement. I regret my actions and I have apologized for them.”
However, Claypool refused to leave before reminding those in the room of his accomplishments while CEO.
“Despite the dire financial circumstances, we have fought our way through these past several years,” he said. “That academic process has continued.”
After the announcement from Claypool, Schuler also spoke with the local media.
“I think it’s the right decision,” Schuler said. “It’s consistent with what we recommended. It’s a way for the district to move on and establish institutional credibility.
Claypool’s career as a Chicago elected official appears to be over after this scandal. Before becoming CEO of the school district, Claypool worked as superintendent of the Chicago Park District from 1993-1998, president of the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) in 2011 and Emanuel's chief of staff in 2015.
"Every time I’ve known him, he has been selfless, and more than just selfless he has been courageous, to take institutional inertia and make the entity, whether it was the Park District, the CTA or CPS better,” Emanuel said at Claypool’s resignation.
CBS 2 News said Janice Jackson, CPS’ chief education officer, will assume the role of interim school CEO.
Alerts Sign-up