EOCO Complaints

Dear Miriam:

Thank you for your interest in Chicago Public Schools. Your FOIA request has been received and is being processed. Your FOIA Center reference number for tracking purposes is: N013655-050823
You have requested the following records: To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act., I hereby request the following records:

EOCO complaints and investigations with the following work sites:

1. Peirce Elementary
2. Budlong Elementary
3. Holden Elementary

Time frame: July 1, 2021 to current

Additionally, supply any/all reports related to EOCO complaint settlements and/or resolutions.

Because this request is in the public interest for Illinois nonprofit The FOIA Bakery’s work to advocate for public education, please waive any fees in accordance with 5 ILCS § 140/6(c). Feel free to contact me with any questions, or if clarification is needed.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 5 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Miriam Bhimani

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) responds to all public records requests in accordance with the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), 5 ILCS 140/1 et seq.
If further time is needed to assemble and copy all documents responsive to your FOIA request, we will contact you with a time estimate and a request to extend.
Upon the completion of a response, CPS will provide the first 50 pages to you at no charge.  If a response is more than 50 pages, a fee of 15¢ per page will be charged for each additional page. Copies of video recordings have a fee of $48. All applicable fees must be paid prior to the copying. CPS will inform you of any fees due if your paper response exceeds 50 pages. You can monitor the progress of your request at the link below and you’ll receive an email when your request has been completed. Thank you for using the CPS FOIA Center.

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05/08/2023

Miriam Bhimani
MuckRock News, DEPT MR145465 263 Huntington Ave
Boston MA 02115

Dear Miriam:

RE: Chicago Public Schools FOIA Request N013655-050823
Thank you again for using the Chicago Public Schools FOIA Center.
Under the Freedom of Information Act, a public body may extend the time to respond to a FOIA request by up to 5 business days for a limited number of reasons. 5 ILCS 140/3(e).
We are extending the time to respond to your request by 5 business days for one or more of the following reason(s):
(  ) the requested records are stored in whole or in part at other locations than the office having charge of the requested records;
( )  the request requires the collection of a substantial number of specified records;
( ) the request is couched in categorical terms and requires an extensive search for the records responsive to it;
( ) the requested records have not been located in the course of routine search and additional efforts are being made to locate them;
(  ) the requested records require examination and evaluation by personnel having the necessary competence and discretion to determine if they are exempt from disclosure under Section 7 of this Act or should be revealed only with appropriate deletions;
(x) the request for records cannot be complied with by the public body within the time limits prescribed by 5 ILCS 140/3 (c) without unduly burdening or interfering with the operations of the public body;
( ) there is need for consultation, which shall be conducted with all practicable speed, with another public body or among two or more components of a public body having a substantial interest in the determination or in the subject matter of the request
Sincerely,

Annie Righi
FOIA Officer
Chicago Public Schools

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05/22/2023
Miriam Bhimani
Dear Miriam:
RE: Chicago Public Schools FOIA Request N013655-050823
Thank you again for using the Chicago Public Schools FOIA Center. We are writing regarding your Freedom of Information Act Request for the following records: To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act., I hereby request the following records:

EOCO complaints and investigations with the following work sites:

1. Peirce Elementary
2. Budlong Elementary
3. Holden Elementary

Time frame: July 1, 2021 to current

Additionally, supply any/all reports related to EOCO complaint settlements and/or resolutions.

Because this request is in the public interest for Illinois nonprofit The FOIA Bakery’s work to advocate for public education, please waive any fees in accordance with 5 ILCS § 140/6(c). Feel free to contact me with any questions, or if clarification is needed.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 5 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Miriam Bhimani

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/ The Chicago Public Schools (CPS) FOIA Office is seeking ten additional business days to respond to this request. If agreed, we will respond by end of business day Tuesday, June 6, 2023 (due to the Monday, May 29, 2023 state holiday during which district offices are closed). Please note that the CPS is still searching for responsive documents and we are working diligently on fulfilling your request. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Thank you, Annie Righi Freedom of Information Act Officer Chicago Public Schools

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06/06/2023
Miriam Bhimani
Dear Miriam:
RE: Chicago Public Schools FOIA Request N013655-050823
Thank you again for using the Chicago Public Schools FOIA Center. We are writing regarding your Freedom of Information Act Request for the following records: To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act., I hereby request the following records:

EOCO complaints and investigations with the following work sites:

1. Peirce Elementary
2. Budlong Elementary
3. Holden Elementary

Time frame: July 1, 2021 to current

Additionally, supply any/all reports related to EOCO complaint settlements and/or resolutions.

Because this request is in the public interest for Illinois nonprofit The FOIA Bakery’s work to advocate for public education, please waive any fees in accordance with 5 ILCS § 140/6(c). Feel free to contact me with any questions, or if clarification is needed.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

In the event that there are fees, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 5 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Miriam Bhimani

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/ The Chicago Public Schools (CPS) FOIA Office is seeking ten additional business days to respond to this request. If agreed, we will respond by end of business day Wednesday, June 21, 2023 (due to the Monday, June 19, 2023 state holiday during which CPS offices are closed). Please note that the CPS FOIA Office is still reviewing responsive documents and we are working diligently on fulfilling your request. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Thank you, Annie Righi Freedom of Information Act Officer Chicago Public Schools

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June 30, 2023 Miriam Bhimani requests@muckrock.com
RE: Chicago Public Schools FOIA Request N013655-050823
Dear Ms. Bhimani: This letter is in reply to your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request seeking the following information: Pursuant to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act., I hereby request the following records:

EOCO complaints and investigations with the following work sites:

1. Peirce Elementary
2. Budlong Elementary
3. Holden Elementary

Time frame: July 1, 2021 to current

Additionally, supply any/all reports related to EOCO complaint settlements and/or resolutions. RESPONSE : Documents responsive to your request are available to download via the CPS FOIA Center at www.cps.edu/FOIARequests . Please log in with your username and password to access the records. Under the rules of FOIA, private information and unique identifiers contained within public records are exempt from public disclosure; those portions have been redacted including personal cell phone numbers, employee identification numbers, race/ethnicity, medical information, and other highly personal information. Pursuant to 5 ILCS 140/7 (1)(b), “Private information, unless disclosure is required by another provision of this Act, a State or federal law or a court order,” and pursuant to 5 ILCS 140/7(1)(c), “Personal information contained within public records, the disclosure of which would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, unless the disclosure is consented to in writing by the individual subjects of the information. “Unwarranted invasion of personal privacy” means the disclosure of information that is highly personal or objectionable to a reasonable person and in which the subject’s right to privacy outweighs the legitimate public interest in obtaining the information. The disclosure of information that bears on the public duties of public employees and officials shall not be considered an invasion of personal privacy. Illinois state law prohibits the release of teacher performance evaluations. Per 105 ILCS 5/24A-7.1, “Disclosure of public school teacher, principal, and superintendent performance evaluations is prohibited,” and 820 ILCS 40/11, “Disclosure of performance evaluations under the Freedom of Information Act shall be prohibited,” and related documents have been removed. Personally identifiable student record information has been redacted in accordance with the Illinois School Student Records Act 105 ILCS 10/1 et seq. and the corresponding Section 7.5(r) FOIA exemption (5 ILCS 140/7.5(r)). Further, redactions have been made pursuant to section 7(1)(d) of the FOIA which provides that “[r]ecords in the possession of any public body created in the course of administrative enforcement proceedings… to the extent that disclosure would unavoidably disclose the identity of a confidential source, confidential information furnished only by the confidential source, or persons who file complaints with or provide information to administrative, investigative, law enforcement, or penal agencies” 5 ILCS 140/7 (1)(d)(iv). Certain records were withheld from release as they have been determined to be factual information inextricably intertwined with an ongoing investigation or disciplinary proceeding pursuant to Section 7(1)(f) and 7(1)(n) of the FOIA. Section 7(1)(f) states “Preliminary drafts, notes, recommendations, memoranda and other records in which opinions are expressed, or policies or actions are formulated, except that a specific record or relevant portion of a record shall not be exempt when the record is publicly cited and identified by the head of the public body. The exemption provided in this paragraph (f) extends to all those records of officers and agencies of the General Assembly that pertain to the preparation of legislative authority.” [5 ILCS 140/7 (1)(f)] Furthermore, this exemption is “intended to protect the communications process and encourage frank and open discussion among agency employees before a decision is made." (Id. at 248, 799 N.E.2d at 864). Section 7(1)(n) of the FOIA exempts from release “Records relating to a public body's adjudication of employee grievances or disciplinary cases; however, this exemption shall not extend to the final outcome of cases in which discipline is imposed.” To the extent you consider this a denial, pursuant to 5 ILCS 140/9.5(a) you may file a Request for Review with the Public Access Counselor (PAC) at: Public Access Counselor; Office of the Attorney General; 500 South 2nd Street; Springfield, IL 62706.  You also have the right to seek judicial review of your denial by filing a lawsuit in the State circuit court; 5 ILCS 140/11. If you have any questions, please contact our office at (773) 553-3500. Thank you for your request. Sincerely, Annie Righi Freedom of Information Act Officer Chicago Public Schools