CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOL CEO FACES 7 1/2 YRS IN PRISON, THANKS TO MOTHER WITH A BLOG
CHICAGO - When blogger Sarah Karp started digging through a pile of Chicago Public School papers in 2013, neither she nor anyone else could have imagined that her curiosity and sense of public service would lead to the downfall of the nation’s third largest school district’s top official.
Sarah Karp, whose son attends sixth grade at a Chicago public school, said while reviewing CPS paperwork, she found that the CPS Board had quietly approved a $20-million contract with SUPES Academy, a non-profit educational group where Byrd-Bennett had worked before taking charge of Chicago Public Schools.
That scenario didn’t set right with Karp. She wrote in July 2013 about her findings onCatalyst Chicago, a blog that covers urban school issues.
“After covering CPS for almost a decade, I knew it was unheard of for the district to award a no-bid contract of that magnitude, especially for something that other organizations are able to handle. It was suspicious for SUPES, a small company not well known to education experts in the city, to be awarded such a large contract,” she explained.
Not only did the information concern Ms. Karp, her story on Catalyst Chicago caught the eye of Chicago Public Schools’ Inspector General Jim Sullivan. Before long, the Chicago area FBI was looking into the deal.
“Graft and corruption in our city’s public school system tears at the fabric of a vital resource for the children of Chicago,” said Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. “School officials and city vendors who abuse the public trust will be held accountable.”
Screenshot CBS News 7 Chicago - Sarah Karp swamped by reporters after Byrd-Bennett indictment
At a press conference announcing the indictment of Byrd-Bennett and two former associates, Fardon acknowledged Sarah Karp’s reporting as igniting the investigation.
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