Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar » Rep. Denyse Wang Stoneback hired Evanston manager at center of criticism for delay of harassment and abuse probe
SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax      Advertise Here      About     Exclusive Subscriber Content     Updated Posts    Contact Rich Miller
CapitolFax.com
To subscribe to Capitol Fax, click here.
Rep. Denyse Wang Stoneback hired Evanston manager at center of criticism for delay of harassment and abuse probe

Wednesday, Mar 9, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller

* This Dan Mihalopoulos story is enraging on so many levels

Jennifer Lin should catch much of the blame for Evanston’s mishandling of sexual misconduct complaints from teenage girls and young women who worked at the city’s beaches, according to an investigative report released last month from a law firm hired by the town’s city council.

When she was the city’s top human resources manager, the lawyers say, Lin was primarily at fault for Evanston’s yearlong delay in looking into the “pervasive” harassment and abuse suffered by lifeguards and other beach workers.

And the investigators found Lin initially was skeptical of the female lakefront workers who first stepped forward in 2020, suggesting they also “behaved badly” and commenting to another Evanston official that “these millennials hold onto things.”

But long before she came in for that heavy criticism in the independent counsel’s report, Lin already had landed a new, six-figure job in local government.

Records show Lin got interviewed and picked last August to become the director of compliance for Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Iris Martinez – even after Evanston’s city manager punished Lin for allegedly failing to tell her about the severity of the beach workers’ complaints.

So, Lin was hired to oversee compliance under the federal hiring monitor. But the vacant position “did not require applicants to disclose whether they had faced any disciplinary action in a previous or current job.” That is just ridiculous. And the federal monitor who oversaw Lin’s hiring said: “I have nothing to say. Not a word,” when pressed by WBEZ. Such transparency.

* Back to the story

One young woman – who says she was raped by a manager when she was a lifeguard in Evanston a few years ago – sent a scathing message to Lin’s county email address last month, hours after the independent counsel’s report was released publicly on Feb. 25.

The woman and more than 50 other current and former beach workers signed a petition to Evanston officials in July 2020. In it, they alleged “blatant sexism, sexual harassment, assault, racism and discrimination” at the lakefront.

The girls and young women called on city officials to “apologize directly to survivors, their families and all lakefront employees for consistently placing underaged employees in oppressive, uncomfortable and dangerous situations and in close proximity with sexual predators.”

“I was truly appalled by the utter mishandling of the Evanston petition and allegations of sexual assault,” the woman wrote to Lin last month. “I would like you to know that people like yourself are the reason why sexual assault so often goes unreported.”

This whole thing is just inexcusable.

* And here’s the state angle

Before going to work for the county in October, Lin also worked for a couple months for state Rep. Denyse Wang Stoneback, D-Skokie. State records show Lin was paid a total of $12,500, at a rate of $38.50 an hour, for being a “contractual worker” with Stoneback from Aug. 1 until Oct. 11.

Stoneback did not return messages.

* I was able to get a response of sorts from Rep. Wang Stoneback (D-Skokie)…

Jennifer Lin worked for me briefly last year, but is no longer affiliated with my office. The findings of the recently released report are troubling and I hope changes are made to prevent this from happening again.

I followed up to ask if the legislator was aware that Lin had issues in Evanston, but did not hear back.

…Adding… Rep. Wang Stoneback’s husband is Dave Stoneback, who has been the Public Works Agency Director for the City of Evanston since 2015 and has worked for the city since 1985. Kinda makes you wonder what he knew and what she knew.

The investigative report, by the way, is here.

       

18 Comments
  1. - Altgelds Ghost - Wednesday, Mar 9, 22 @ 12:49 pm:

    who recommended her for all these jobs?


  2. - Evanstonian - Wednesday, Mar 9, 22 @ 1:00 pm:

    dave stoneback (city of evanstons deputy city manager) has some explaining to do here no doubt


  3. - North Sider - Wednesday, Mar 9, 22 @ 1:24 pm:

    WOW! How could she hire someone that play a role in covering all that up? sexual assault!!! That is terrible. What was she thinking??? They were kids! seriously disgusting


  4. - Username001 - Wednesday, Mar 9, 22 @ 1:37 pm:

    So Dave Stoneback comes home one day and tells Rep. Stoneback, “Hey my friend Linn is really getting persecuted at work, I think you should hire her.” And the Rep. goes along with it? Deciding to put a person in a position of public trust that has already shown they can’t be trusted with people’s personal information or issues? Shows a serious lack of good judgment at best.


  5. - Amalia - Wednesday, Mar 9, 22 @ 1:43 pm:

    you would think a federal hiring monitor would do better.


  6. - The Hills 60010 - Wednesday, Mar 9, 22 @ 1:43 pm:

    =”The woman and more than 50 other current and former beach workers signed a petition to Evanston officials in July 2020. In it, they alleged “blatant sexism, sexual harassment, assault, racism and discrimination” at the lakefront.

    The girls and young women called on city officials to “apologize directly to survivors, their families and all lakefront employees for consistently placing underaged employees in oppressive, uncomfortable and dangerous situations and in close proximity with sexual predators.””

    Just sigh.


  7. - DougChicago - Wednesday, Mar 9, 22 @ 1:58 pm:

    The uselessness of the federal monitor system is brilliantly on display here.

    Talk about pinstripe patronage. Add up the literally millions spent on the state and county and city monitor and you will become nauseous.


  8. - Hannibal Lecter - Wednesday, Mar 9, 22 @ 2:04 pm:

    === you would think a federal hiring monitor would do better. ===

    That’s a common misconception. They have tunnel vision and only think about the small picture of what they are trying to accomplish.


  9. - Unionman - Wednesday, Mar 9, 22 @ 2:10 pm:

    Considering she got elected with Lang’s money and Lang was part of the Madigan machine (until he became a persona non-grata because he couldn’t keep his hands to himself), what do you expect.


  10. - Anonymous - Wednesday, Mar 9, 22 @ 2:11 pm:

    Politics is always at it base, about process. That said,

    =The woman and more than 50 other current and former beach workers signed a petition to Evanston officials in July 2020. In it, they alleged “blatant sexism, sexual harassment, assault, racism and discrimination” at the lakefront.=

    and

    =“I was truly appalled by the utter mishandling of the Evanston petition and allegations of sexual assault,” =

    This is the process. There must exist a record of how this legally required process was followed, and was adjudicated by officials charged with enacting the processes for evaluating legal claims of sexual harassment and sexual assault.

    Pursue this at the Federal level.


  11. - H-W - Wednesday, Mar 9, 22 @ 2:25 pm:

    Anonymous at 2:11 pm was me. Sorry about the slip.


  12. - Jerry Sandusky's Ghost - Wednesday, Mar 9, 22 @ 2:30 pm:

    But hold on people, Daniel Biss wrote a 5000 word essay on the matter. THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN SOLVED.


  13. - NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham - Wednesday, Mar 9, 22 @ 3:15 pm:

    ==But hold on people, Daniel Biss wrote a 5000 word essay on the matter.==

    Did the essay also include excerpts on mathematical and quantitative analyses? As well as illustrations of weird, inexplicable diagrams and images that only he knows the meaning of?


  14. - Responsa - Wednesday, Mar 9, 22 @ 3:43 pm:

    In the circulating milieu of political jobs there always seems to be another one right around the corner for those who’ve screwed up or mishandled their precious one.


  15. - Shytown - Wednesday, Mar 9, 22 @ 3:43 pm:

    I came here for Wang Stoneback scoop and stayed for the Biss trolling…

    But seriously, Wang Stoneback should have known better.


  16. - Hannibal Lecter - Wednesday, Mar 9, 22 @ 3:58 pm:

    === In the circulating milieu of political jobs there always seems to be another one right around the corner for those who’ve screwed up or mishandled their precious one. ===

    To be clear, Lin was not hired for a political job at the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s Office. This was supposed to be a job that is 100% free of politics and the Federal monitor oversaw the enti8re hiring process and opined in her last report that “she seems like she will be a good fit”.


  17. - Leslie McMillan - Thursday, Mar 10, 22 @ 7:17 am:

    I think we might be missing the point. The big question is why did the city of Evanston pay Lin a substantial amount of money in severance when she already had a job lined up. Who gained by making her happy?


  18. - Rich Miller - Thursday, Mar 10, 22 @ 8:08 am:

    ===The big question===

    This is a state politics and government website and I’d prefer to keep it that way.


Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.


* Isabel’s afternoon roundup
* Save the date!
* Energy Storage Can Minimize Major Price Spikes
* Trial gives glimpse into how Madigan managed his members
* Pritzker announces $72 million in medical debt relief for nearly 53K Illinois residents
* AG Raoul warns Mayor Johnson to reverse police reform budget cuts or risk sanctions
* Madigan trial roundup: Defense attacks credibility of ex-ComEd executive
* Senate President puts hold on bill to protect key aquifers from carbon sequestration
* Showcasing The Retailers Who Make Illinois Work
* Open thread
* Isabel’s morning briefing
* SUBSCRIBERS ONLY - Today's edition of Capitol Fax (use all CAPS in password)
* Live coverage
* Selected press releases (Live updates)
* Trump border czar pick has message for Pritzker: 'Game on'
* Yesterday's stories

Support CapitolFax.com
Visit our advertisers...

...............

...............

...............

...............

...............

...............


Loading


Main Menu
Home
Illinois
YouTube
Pundit rankings
Obama
Subscriber Content
Durbin
Burris
Blagojevich Trial
Advertising
Updated Posts
Polls

Archives
November 2024
October 2024
September 2024
August 2024
July 2024
June 2024
May 2024
April 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004

Blog*Spot Archives
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005

Syndication

RSS Feed 2.0
Comments RSS 2.0




Hosted by MCS SUBSCRIBE to Capitol Fax Advertise Here Mobile Version Contact Rich Miller