Latest news with #Brumfield
CBS News
15-05-2025
- CBS News
Former Lincoln Park High School principal and assistant principal removed from CPS "do not hire" list
Months after an inspector general's report found allegations against them were mishandled, a former principal and assistant principal at Lincoln Park High School have been removed from the Chicago Public Schools' "do not hire" list. Former principal John Thuet and assistant principal Michelle Brumfield were fired in 2020, accused of mishandling claims of sexual misconduct. In December 2024, the Office of Inspector General for Chicago Public Schools determined the case against them was mishandled, and improperly conducted "off-the-books. The pair later petitioned to be removed from the district's "do not hire" list. CPS Chief Executive Officer Pedro Martinez granted their request this week, making them eligible to work for the school district again. In January and February 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic shifted schools to remote learning for more than a year, Lincoln Park High School was embroiled in a headline-grabbing scandal that lasted weeks. It started with a complaint about an unauthorized boys' varsity basketball team overnight trip to Detroit in December 2019. After the trip, Thuet sent a letter to parents saying the "overnight trip over winter break… was not a school-sponsored event. An investigation followed, and Thuet and Brumfield were removed from their positions. The basketball coach and dean of the school were also reassigned, and as the school put it, "the remainder of the varsity boys' basketball season has been suspended until further notice." More complaints followed, including claims of sexual misconduct within the athletics department and retaliation by other students. Thuet and Brumfield have maintained from the beginning that they reported all of the claims of sexual misconduct and other wrongdoing to the CPS Office of Student Protections as required by the district. After the pair were fired, angry parents complained that CPS was not forthcoming with facts about the allegations against them. Meantime, students walked out of the school in protest, calling for Thuet and Brumfield to be reinstated and taking issue with the cancellation of the basketball season. Protests against Thuet and Brumfield's termination took over the halls of Lincoln Park High School and CPS board meetings. It took four years for the CPS inspector general to investigate and publish a report that was overwhelmingly critical of the Office of Student Protections and CPS. It noted an incredible conflict of interest, saying part of the Office of Student Protections' investigation into the matter started because of allegations made by a student whose mother actually ran that very office. The Inspector General called the investigation "off-the-books," which "seems to have affected the terminations of Thuet and Brumfield—each of whom were supposedly fired because of misconduct." Thuet and Brumfield have said they still don't know why they were fired in the first place. It's unclear if they'll seek to work for CPS again. The video above is from an earlier report.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Nicholasville Fire Department pays tribute to fallen former chief on International Firefighters' Day
NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. (FOX 56) — May 4 is recognized as International Firefighters' Day, and people across the country honored those who have given their lives to protect their communities from harm. The Nicholasville Fire Department posted on Facebook on Sunday that officials visited the National Fallen Firefighters' memorial ceremony in Emmitsburg, Maryland, where former Chief Charles Brumfield's name was added. Nicholasville fire officials said the names of 12 Kentucky firefighters were added to the memorial wall this year. Frankfort to host flood recovery town hall: What to know Star Wars fans at McConnell Springs celebrate 'May the Fourth' in style Nicholasville Fire Department pays tribute to fallen former chief on International Firefighters' Day Members of the NFD said they attended the memorial ceremony to support former Chief Brumfield's family and represent the department. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hundreds join rainy Belleville Public Square protest against Trump
More than 300 people filled Belleville's Public Square on Saturday in protest against the Trump administration. People local to Belleville, Swansea, Columbia and Waterloo joined others as far as Carbondale and Peoria in the pouring rain and thunder. They joined others across the country in a National Day of Action. The Belleville protest began at noon and ended around 2 p.m., with a few stragglers remaining as the crowd dissipated. 'People coming out here in this insane weather shows that people are fed up,' said Barbara Brumfield, President of Southwestern Illinois Democratic Women, who organized Saturday's event. 'Just look at the people who showed up.' Protestors ranged as young as children to those in their late 80s. Tops among their concerns were feared cuts to Medicaid and Veterans Affairs. Concerns about immigration and environmental policies also were voiced. 'We can't just sit around and do nothing,' said Diane Giedeman of Belleville. 'This is the only way to have our voice heard.' It was the first protest Giedeman, 79, has ever attended. A significant theme among many demonstrators was the perceived lack of transparency from U.S. Senator Mike Bost, who, along with other Republicans, has backed away from holding town halls and meetings with his constituents. 'They're scared,' Brenda Thomas, a co-organizer for the event, said of Republican officials. 'They know people are unhappy but they don't want to choose between making them and Trump upset so they choose the one they serve.' Many motorists circling the square honked their horns and waved at the cheering crowd. Few hecklers made an appearance, save for one who flipped off the crowd and another who yelled 'get a job' as he passed the crowd heading west on Main Street. Southwestern Illinois Democratic Women have been organizing protests for years, but have rarely had a turnout as big as Saturday's event, Brumfield said. 'I think this is the biggest turnout we've ever had,' said Brumfield. 'Usually we only get around 100. We had more than that on (the eastern) side of (Main) street.' Brumfield, who is a retired teacher, said Southwestern Illinois Democratic Women organized the event, but the nonprofit group is entirely volunteer based. 'I keep hearing politicians say we're just paid agitators. If that's the case, then where the heck is my check?' she said.
New York Times
24-02-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Joann, 80-Year-Old Crafts and Fabrics Retailer, Will Close All Stores
Joann, the fabrics and crafts retailer that has supplied quilters, seamstresses and school projects for 80 years, announced that it would close down all of its stores in the latest chapter of financial tumult for the company. The company's assets were auctioned off on Friday, about a month after Joann filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time in less than a year. Joann announced earlier in February that it would close 500 of its remaining 800 stores as part of the bankruptcy process. The winning bidder in the auction, the financial services company GA Group, along with a lender, acquired 'substantially all of JOANN's assets,' according to a news release from Joann. GA Group plans to wind down the company's operations and conduct going-out-of-business sales at all stores, pending bankruptcy court approval, the company said. Joann said in a statement that its leadership 'made every possible effort to pursue a more favorable outcome that would keep the company in business.' Joann, which was previously called Jo-Ann Fabrics, is based in Hudson, Ohio. The chain's storefronts in 49 states have long been a standby for creative crafters, offering a plethora of colorful yarns and fabric rolls that filled entire aisles, as well as sewing machines, seasonal products and other crafting supplies. In March 2024, Joann, then a publicly traded company, filed for bankruptcy to reduce debt and returned to private ownership. The company attributed its low sales to a challenging retail environment. That initial filing closed in August 2024. The retailer continued its downward spiral in the months that followed. When the company announced earlier in February that it would close more than half its stores, Joann said in a statement that it faced 'significant and lasting challenges in the retail environment, which, coupled with our current financial position and constrained inventory levels, have forced us to take this step.' The timeline for store closures and the winding down of operations was not yet clear, though Joann said the closing sales would begin immediately. Joann said in a note to suppliers that it had 'generally stopped purchasing goods and services except for those that it believes are essential to supporting an orderly wind-down of operations.' GA Group did not immediately respond to a request for more information on Monday. Many at-home crafters, like Stacey Brumfield, 38, of Alexandria, La., were saddened by the news of the closures. Ms. Brumfield has been shopping at her local Joann for almost a decade, because the store is the only one nearby that carries the yarn she needs for her knitting and crocheting projects. 'Whatever you needed, they probably had it, and it was going to be the quality you wanted,' she said, adding that finding the products she usually bought there was going to be 'a lot more difficult.'
