* Background is here if you need it. From Politico…
Alaina Hampton, the political consultant who recently settled a sexual harassment case with Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and his Democratic organization, is still in a battle with the Chicago Teachers Union. During her suit with the Dems, Hampton had claimed CTU did not hire her because she had been blackballed by Madigan’s organization. Hampton had sought documents from CTU, but the organization initially refused. It eventually was compelled to turn over the documents.
The case is now settled, but Hampton says CTU has continued to disparage her on social media, so her legal team filed a cease and desist order.
Hampton revealed the legal move Monday in a tweet directed to CTU after a spokeswoman described the case as having “factual distortions, hyperbole and outright lies.” The spokeswoman’s tweet was deleted, but not before Hampton responded with her own tweet: “You can’t hide from the truth. That’s one reason my attorneys sent you and CTU a cease and desist for defamation a month ago.”
- Sayitaintso - Tuesday, Dec 17, 19 @ 10:24 am:
This young woman doesn’t mind mixing it up in the ring, does she.
- NIU Grad - Tuesday, Dec 17, 19 @ 10:26 am:
CTU is on a 24/7 war footing. Not unexpected because of their role…but it seems to be directed at anyone/everyone in all directions. I hope they someday focus their attention more on students and not getting in these political squabbles. CPS teachers and staff deserve better.
Losing with Toni (badly) should have been a wake-up call…not a call to arms.
- Steve - Tuesday, Dec 17, 19 @ 10:26 am:
When reading stories like this it’s no wonder more people don’t speak out against powerful institutions. Alaina Hampton really has courage.
- Charlie Brown - Tuesday, Dec 17, 19 @ 10:33 am:
Factual distortions and hyperbole are stock-and-trade in the political world and on social media.
If you eliminated factual distortions and hyperbole from Twitter, there would not be much left.
- Honeybear - Tuesday, Dec 17, 19 @ 10:36 am:
I agree with you Steve. She had immense courage.
- Shytown - Tuesday, Dec 17, 19 @ 10:42 am:
Shame on CTU leaders. What do they stand for anyway? What kind of message are they sending to their thousands of mostly female employees? To the students who they’re supposed to be looking out for? They have the best of both worlds - publicly they get to play the part of do-good outsiders fighting for kids and teachers, while in reality they play the insider political game like anyone else playing footsie with the speaker and other entrenched electeds. They’re also a thin skinned bunch who can’t handle one ill word about themselves, but are allowed to throw bombs and unleash attacks on the likes of Alaina Hampton. They should apologize to her.
- Tim - Tuesday, Dec 17, 19 @ 10:55 am:
Lying and making things up to suit their narrative is the CTU’s stock and trade. So, why did these CTU folks get into education in the first place? Me thinks many of them have forgotten.
- OneMan - Tuesday, Dec 17, 19 @ 11:12 am:
Well CTU if the case has “factual distortions, hyperbole and outright lies” you releasing the documents she asked for to the media should clear that right up, shouldn’t it?
- anon - Tuesday, Dec 17, 19 @ 11:24 am:
Imagine CTU may develop problems with female legislators if they keep this up. This sort of retaliatory behavior has to stop.
- I don’t know - Tuesday, Dec 17, 19 @ 11:43 am:
I’m not a fan of CTU lately, and I may be in the minority, but something about Hampton doesn’t completely add up.
- Trapped in the 'burbs - Tuesday, Dec 17, 19 @ 12:00 pm:
CTU lost with Chuy. Lost with Toni. At some point they might want to think about how moderate people see CTU. If you represent teachers and can alienate decent people who love teachers but get turned off by the CTU political efforts, it might be a good idea to reevaluate your messaging.
- What happened was... - Tuesday, Dec 17, 19 @ 1:49 pm:
“CTU lost with Chuy. Lost with Toni. At some point they might want to think about how moderate people see CTU. If you represent teachers and can alienate decent people who love teachers but get turned off by the CTU political efforts, it might be a good idea to reevaluate your messaging.“
They’ve caught the Democratic Socialism bug. At least, the loudest faction of their 25,000 person union has. They think it’s really fun to demonize people who make upwards of six figures.
- Chicago Cynic - Tuesday, Dec 17, 19 @ 2:47 pm:
“…something about Hampton doesn’t completely add up.”
Complete horsepucky. She never asked to be sexually harassed. And if you’ve seen the texts you know she was. So she just decided enough is enough. She did that despite the knowledge that she was going up against the most powerful person in the state and that it would likely severely hurt her opportunities within today’s Democratic Party. If you don’t view her as David in an enormous David and Goliath struggle to purge rampant sexism from the party then that’s on you. She deserves our respect and admiration and organizations like CTU need to get their heads out of their proverbial you know where.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Dec 17, 19 @ 3:09 pm:
“after a spokeswoman described the case as having “factual distortions, hyperbole and outright lies.”
Well, did the case in fact have factual distortions, hyperbole and outright lies? If it did, what were the factual distortions hyperbole and outright lies?
- Anon - Tuesday, Dec 17, 19 @ 3:57 pm:
Yaaaaas, funny that CTU claims to be progressive but is comfortable accusing a victim of sexual harassment of “factual distortions, hyperbole and outright lies.”
- Anon - Tuesday, Dec 17, 19 @ 6:51 pm:
CTU leaders need a wake-up call. I’ve heard from so many disillusioned members and thinking that CTU leadership colludes with the corrupt system. Easy trope, but Chicago has yet to undo its corrupt machine and you don’t get that machine without unions.
CTU needs to eat some humble pie.