>> Hello and thanks for joining us on Chicago tonight.

Black voices, I'm Brandis Friedman.

Here's what we're looking at.

The Trump administration's campaign against diversity, equity and inclusion is now aimed at college campuses and some local universities are the target.

And what the future police reform looks like after a leadership change at agency tasked with investigating officer misconduct.

>> Now to some of today's top stories, Mayor Brandon Johnson met this afternoon with top education leaders amid fears of a possible teachers strike as negotiations over a new contract drag on the mayor.

key players to his office, including fired Chicago Public Schools, CEO Pedro Martinez, Chicago Teachers, Union president Stacy Davis, Gates and School board president in an attempt to help broker an agreement.

Afterwards, the mayor told reporters, quote, the goal of this meeting was to open up the conversation to look for potential compromise or compromises to avert a work stoppage to keep kids in the classroom.

There's no reason for any of these outcomes and we are so close to landing a deal.

It goes on to say none of these issues that they need to settle will be worth the consequence of 6, 7, days or however, many days out of school.

Governor JB Pritzker says federal spending cuts could leave Illinois 11 billion dollars worse off and that the state would not be able to make up that shortfall.

What we're talking across the board.

>> Health care, education cuts, cetera.

We don't have what right now looks like about 11 billion dollars.

We will lose.

We don't have 11 billion dollars to fill the gaps on education, health care you're talking about in a world where we've got to worry about keeping rural hospitals open when we lose, if we lose what I think we may in Medicaid and we've got it.

I mean, it's going to be triaged.

>> Pritzker made the comments at a roundtable discussion this afternoon with agricultural leaders in Illinois last week.

Pritzker said cuts to the U.S. Department of Education could cross the state as much as 3 billion dollars.

And Illinois Senator Durbin is sounding the alarm over staff cuts at the Department of Homeland Security Durbin, along with Michigan Senator Gary Peters are demanding the department hope plans to reduce staffing or eliminate its civil rights and civil liberties offices.

In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem Durbin and Peters right decision to eliminate the civil rights and civil Liberties office or make significant reductions in see rcl staff will jeopardize DHS is ability to comply with statutory requirements and to protect the civil rights and civil liberties of the American people.

The letter follows an executive order issued by President Donald Trump last month directing federal agencies to prepare for large-scale layoffs.

Up next, what the future of police reform might look like after a leadership shakeup at the civilian Office of Police Accountability.

>> Chicago tonight like is made possible in part by the support of these.

Don't use.

>> The agency charged with investigating Chicago police misconduct is getting new leadership.

It comes as Andrea Kirsten, the former leader of the civilian Office of Police, Accountability or Copa has resigned.

The move happened after the city's police oversight board.

The Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability issued a letter to Kirsten saying they were planning to take a vote of no confidence in her leadership.

The office says it identified, quote, critical failures of leadership that seriously undermine the quality and integrity of Cooper's work.

Kristen slammed the allegations as unfair and unfounded.

Joining us now, our Anthony driver, president of the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability and military.

The commission's vice-president.

Welcome back to you both.

Thank you for joining us.

goodness.

Anthony.

Let's start with you.

Please.

Should Chicagoans be concerned that the city's police accountability system has failed?

Well, I think Chicagoans should know we're doing our job actually working.

>> The commission when it was created was tasked with overseeing the police report Co players the Chicago Police Department.

So we're doing our jobs Chicago should know that, you know, we're behind the and we're going to make sure we get this right.

>> What more do you think could have been done to improve some of the concerns that you had a before coming to the point of no confidence vote?

Well, I wouldn't say that things could have been done to improve.

thing is that there were there are employees who worked for culpa, who just will decide to come forward.

Complaints are commission.

We heard them out.

We talked to some of them are valid and we were moving in that direction.

We did not take a vote of no confidence.

You Commissioner Kirsten, you know, she resigned.

so now our task is to find the right person to lead the agency in a future military.

How would you describe the working relationship between your agency CCPS a and COPPA?

>> Well, I think that we have a very good relationship in terms of the fact that the employees there feel comfortable enough to come forward and speak to us.

I think that says a lot, especially with a lot of the things that we learned in our process of having these conversations with the employees who came forth as well as with Chief Carson.

So I think we're excited about an opportunity to have new leadership, one that we can be very clear about the expectations that they will be held to and that this commission will not take take our eye off the prize in terms of holding people accountable, no matter which were only serve.

just so our viewers know what were some of the complaints of those employees came to with?

There concerns related to having information around patterns in practice investigations that were not sort of move forward within the department, which is a beak responsibility of the department.

There are also concerns about, you know, failures to hold people accountable when actions were taken in.

Even in conversation, we learned that some of that has been corroborated.

So we were very intentional in not just hearing things but ensuring that we had everyone waiting in one ear positions and made decision from there.

Your letter on the criticize public statements that former coca leadership made about pending investigations, specifically the decks to reach shooting.

>> What was said that the commission considered crossing the object.

I want >> There is information that was put out.

That was president percent presented as You know, there's no way to know that there were 5 people on the scene day.

5 officers who stopped next to reading and obviously tax to rid himself.

Who was president.

Those are the only people who can say definitively why they pulled him over.

If you hear that from someone else that wasn't on the scene who may have come later, even if true, even if it's something that you heard from somebody else, it's hearsay.

So until you can verify that, we believe that that's not something that put been put forward unless that was verified by someone who was on the scene.

>> Okay.

Andrew Person, she also sent a response letter claiming that she believes that she was treated unfairly.

It reads in part, quote, Now that chief administrator has finally begun fulfilling these mandates that became enshrined in the consent decree to do the hard things that the city asked of it.

has apparently decided that it wishes the Copa and the city's accountability system retreat from this reform pathway has rendered one of the hardest jobs in the city in city government even more difficult.

Anthony, what's your response to that?

>> You know, I respect you, Commissioner Kirsten, her pay not just because patently false.

He's not we're commission.

That was to to have accountability.

And unless, you know, the officers who are going through this process believe that the process was fair and the citizens need to know that if and officers doing something wrong, they were taken off the street.

That is our responsibility.

These are not pro account all pro accountability.

Folks are are anti police focused.

It's a multitude of folks over 10% of the workforce civilian office of Police accountability came forward.

Allegations and they were hurt.

If that's the case.

I would ask her why the people that you promote promoting multiple times, people who are in your inner circle, people who you hired.

Why did they feel need to come forward of everything was going so well.

And to be clear, you just said that 10% of the staff at more than 10% agency had complaints about leadership.

initially there was only >> a few folks.

And we just referred that.

You'd expect General best a body that this is appropriately handle that because the fact finding a distributor to Chicago.

>> What happened with after 2 people who were whistleblowers were fired after coming forward.

It created avalanche were more and more and more people start to come forward with their stories.

>> Less October, arching reported Copa found a pattern of undocumented aggressive traffic stops on the city's west side a year before the decks to reach shooting that we've already discussed, but took no action.

If the chief administrator had done her job differently at the time, would read still be alive, had something had flag raised.

>> We you know, we can't predict the future.

What would actually occur, but it would be good to know that that was actually being, you know, taking action was being taken on this sort of scenario, right?

Because that's serious information that should have been moved forward that we eventually learned was not just with that particular police district.

What other tech with teens and no action had been taking in.

So those are significant concerns for us.

And really hinders stance higher accountability system.

>> If you know something is wrong, you ever think that, you something is wrong.

You're the oversight agency.

You have a responsibility to bring that Ford had that come forward.

We can't whether or not Mr. Reid still be still be here with us today.

Ahead, the agency come forward with these complaints.

We would have been been able to do our job to hold the superintendent of police Department accountable.

You can't do that don't have any knowledge of what happened.

>> And what did you learn about how the city's police accountability system is functioning based on your examination of persons tenure there?

Well, I think there's a lot of checks and balances, right?

so that's essentially what the as we're body that oversees 3 different agencies within the city.

There's a multitude agencies in city Chicago.

Some people call it a convoluted.

But I think this is an instance where it actually shows that the process is working.

>> Where if one thing fails, there's a fail-safe to make sure that that can be corrected.

>> You also say the problem is not just a couple leadership but also systematic problems.

What else do you think needs to be?

>> did all those those comments were every guards to the consent decree specifically, but that this is not, you know, as I said before this, do Chicago Police Department is not in the consent decree.

The city of Chicago is on the consent decree.

That means the mayor's office, human resources, the commission koper the OIG PSA.

I can keep going on a lot.

All of those folks are responsible for ensuring the consent decree.

It's carried out invest far.

The narrative only been on the Chicago Police Department and I'm okay with that.

But I will say and so the city of Chicago in all the entities are supported bison to the consent decree will never come from under.

>> City data Rimmel shows the taxpayers spend at least 107 million dollars to resolve lawsuits alleging Chicago police misconduct in 2024.

43% more than in 2023.

Do you think your office is doing enough to reduce police misconduct which would then reduce the cost to taxpayers?

I think that we're on a path to address all of these concerns as president driver has pointed out, right?

We are still fairly new commission.

And I think that we've had a lot of success.

We are very proud of the selection of superintendent selling.

>> We do stand behind a lot of the initiatives that he's implementing.

And I do believe that we'll see a change in the tide and a lot of the concerns.

But those things take time.

So if there's an expectation that overnight, we're going to see a significant decrease.

We would all love that.

That's what we're pushing for.

However, we understand that slow drips, can, you know, create a water.

And also at there's a lack.

>> All right.

So cases are being predate start of a happening now.

they are pretty day our commission.

Yes, before we're even know existed.

And speaking of timing and we're almost out of it.

But what is the timeline for finding a new leader of c-pac?

So we're in the process of developing and hiring a search firm, but internal goal and what we will say is that we're hoping to have this wrapped up in 6 will have to leave it.

There are military Anthony driver both Thanks to both for joining us.

Thank you.

And we're back right after this.

>> 3 Illinois universities are facing federal investigations over diversity, equity and inclusion.

Programming.

It comes as the U.S. Education Department in February issued a leather, a letter instructing educational institutions to stop, quote, using race in decisions pertaining to admissions, hiring promotion compensation, financial aid, scholarships, prizes, administrative support, discipline, housing, graduation ceremonies and all other aspects of student academic and campus life.

If they don't hate it here, those universities risk losing federal funding.

Joining us to discuss more are Xavier Amy, CEO of Justice and formed a social impact consulting firm and via Zoom.

We have Jacob Hubert president of the Liberty Justice Center, a nonprofit, a not-for-profit litigation from gentlemen.

Welcome back.

Glad we can regenerate the So as we mentioned, the University of Chicago is among nearly 50 other institutions under investigation for alleged racial discrimination related to dei programs, mainly the college's partnership with something called The PhD Project.

It's a nonprofit that aims to increase diversity in the business world.

Jacob, going to start with you.

Please under these new federal guidelines is this practice illegal?

>> Well, I hear, you know, as a lawyer be very careful.

I don't know all the specific facts of the case, but I do know that there are programs in private and government universities across the country that to discriminate based on race.

They do give out money give out positions based on race.

And the law has always said that that's a legal and that President Trump has made clear that he's going to enforce that law by denying federal funding institutions that engage in this kind of discrimination.

So if they find this is going on, that expect they will cut funds and they'll be right to do so.

>> When I come back to the argument in just a bit as well.

But Xavier, we know that you're a proponent of dei initiatives, of course, is your work.

What are the consequences of devoted solving programs like the PhD Project?

>> We go back to United States that was in existence Pre 1964.

The Civil Rights Act.

This is an attack on creating equality in America.

The reality is the reason why these programs exist.

And I want to just really anchor on the fact that we need to be very specific about what we mean, we say, discrimination.

These are programs that support disadvantaged persons to create pathways for them into institutions that historically have had no way to actually engage them relative to the issues that they have in their lives outside of campus or the workplace.

And so this is a these are strategies to support people who have not had the ability to enter.

And I think that we need more of this.

If we don't have these types of programs in place, these universities institutions do not actually have strategies that can deal with the societal effects of racism, sexism, gender inequality that keep women out of university and academic programs or black folks and brown folks, they don't have strategies in place to ensure equality of outcome.

And these programs are there to create an opportunity of input to create more of inequality of outcome.

So similarly, northwestern University and Illinois Wesleyan University are among institutions that received a letter outlining potential title 6 violations.

>> Failing to protect Jewish students from Anti-Semitic harassment discrimination.

And of course, that notice it follows a pro Palestinian rallies on college campuses and the Trump administration remains aligned with Israel.

Xavier is this political or is this a true act of solidarity for Jewish communities?

I can't I can't answer whether it's political.

I can say it's one-sided.

The reality is they're not speaking on behalf of the issues of Islamophobia.

I'm someone who believes very strongly.

>> That we should not have any tolerance for Anti-Semitism.

And I believe in the the the responsibility of our country to make sure that its Jewish citizens are protected and at the same time, we understand that our Muslim students and Palestinian students, particularly on these major campuses have not been safe.

They do not have programs are curriculum.

That is specifically there to educate people about Palestine, its history or otherwise.

And the rescinding of these programs support or otherwise.

And to have a one-sided situation where we're just talking about the experience that Jewish students are having on campus is fundamentally what side I think we need to be fit.

They need to be even balanced in Jacob, former Columbia University graduate student and lawful permanent resident Mike Mood.

Kaliyah was arrested by immigration authorities and is.

>> At risk of deportation for what some are saying is punishment for his outspoken pro-Palestinian stance.

Is this setting a dangerous precedent that if you don't align with the president's personal ideologies that you are at risk of deportation.

>> Well, I can't speak to the facts of that case.

I don't know specifically what this person did and didn't do, but certainly it would be disturbing for the president to the targeting people for legal consequences based on what they say based on their political opinions.

A lot of people supported this president because they believe that he would be restoring free speech after is under attack for so many years.

So it would be concerning if you're targeting students, immigrants who ever based on political opinions alone.

Now, if you're talking about association with terrorist organizations are real support for terrorist organizations.

That be another story.

But it's just about speech.

That is something to be concerned about.

>> Jacob, you mentioned this earlier, that universities that don't adhere to the federal guidelines or risk of losing federal funding.

Is that a fair punishment?

>> Definitely because that's that's one of the conditions of taking federal funding is that you're going to comply with federal law?

No question.

You're talking about government institution meeting with State University's.

They have to follow the Constitution and the law anyway.

They all of that just from that alone, they shouldn't be treating people differently based on race or.

And so they should have serious legal consequences just based on that.

But even these private schools, when they take the federal money, it comes with the strings attached.

And if they want that money, it makes sense that they would comply, particularly.

We're talking about these rules that just require them to follow basic American values of treating people equally and not treating people favorably or disfavor believe based on the race.

>> Xavier is pulling federal funding a reasonable response to this issue to not to the operating in dei program.

No.

>> Very simply, no, it's not.

And one of the things that is happening right now as we're seeing is President Trump is continually in court for these executive orders directives.

Much of the language is vague, including the language that was sent to the university's the language in the Dei.

A executive order was has been contested by courts.

The language in his obstruction of funding to U.S. aid has been contended in court.

He's lost a lot of these battles already.

And the challenges that in between that time when funds are not being provided, we're losing incredible supportive services for people who truly do need those funds for their education for their housing, for their social services, etc.

And he's playing this war of attrition right now where it's more asked for forgiveness, not permission.

>> I'm Jacob.

You argue that institution should be able to help level the playing field for students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

How do you differentiate that from from a diversity, equity and inclusion initiative?

>> Well, I don't know about leveling the playing field schools absolutely are able to do things to attract and support students who come from a disadvantaged background grew up with without a lot of money or inferior schools are far away from cities and those resources.

Of course, it's it's fine to support students.

newer disadvantage where there is financially or otherwise.

But what's not OK under the Constitution and under federal law is to again, treat people better or worse based on their You can have.

so this.

>> Nobody is saying that schools can help give help to people who need help.

Who what they are saying is that the criterion cannot race.

>> Xavier, is that enough?

Why were why isn't that enough to for the criteria to be basically socioeconomic background, helping those who come from maybe low income first and families.

>> When you look at the black population in America, the majority is experiencing economic hardship in ways of the white population is not.

When you look at the Latino population in America, the Latino population is experiencing economic hardship in ways that white populations are not.

The reality is, is that what we're Jacob is saying that, you know, you should we should have programs for disadvantaged people.

The reality is that in America, that is also something you can track by race.

And we're talking about creating programs and projects and support financial or otherwise.

This isn't to create a preference.

This is to create support in a specific way.

There's no point in at the University Chicago, for example, to where the average white student who is admitted into the university, Chicago is coming from significantly different economic class than the majority of black students and brown students.

There is no reason to create programs that they can tap into for financial support when their families don't need.

What they're asking for is that people who don't need support get access to support and the people that truly do need it because they're black or because they're browned that they don't deserve to get that specifically because that feels like discrimination when it actually just specific support.

>> Could this issue Xavier and then I want to get your thoughts as well, Jacob, it could this eventually impact historically black colleges and universities, women-only institutions.

Of course, all of these that women only institutions, predominately black institutions, HBC use.

Those are all created to deal with what was happening because of the legacy of chattel slavery because of racial capitalism.

Because white supremacy that wasn't in existence by law.

Up until 1965. these programs are not created to create some racial preference out of nowhere they were created because real harms were happening.

And the effect of those harms was racially specific or gender specific and these programs that are being pulled back out of the guise of somehow it's doing harm against persons who don't need need support and who have never experienced racialized harm is that it's a it's a simple bait and switch and it is disingenuous at best.

But it is harmful and absolutely will have an effect on our HBC use at on populations of women.

I expect that we're not going to see as many women and PhD programs.

I expect we're going to see less black people and brown people going into those programs.

And here's what we know.

A PhD programs when you bring persons with minority identities into these programs, they study the experience they had in America.

And we get more clear on what experiences they specifically been having.

That other folks who have a mind of majority experience don't have.

And that allows us to be more accurate in our ability to attend to them and medical institutions or to support them in small business programs or to ensure that their children can survive with a black mothers can survive when they're having babies, because we know that they die more often than white women.

So why would you create programs for white women when they have better outcomes already?

Jacob, same question to you.

>> One of those to the HBC use, of course they don't.

They don't actually discriminate based on race now, at least mean, they don't exclude they don't exclude like people or Asians or any other group.

It as a result, we do have people of different backgrounds attending those schools.

And I expect that you will continue to have people of different backgrounds attending those schools and people who like the traditions of those schools will be drawn to those schools as you don't need any sort of There's there's nothing in the prohibition of race discrimination, that it would stop these schools from doing what they've always done again with this with this target says excluding were including people simply based on their race.

The Constitution says that's a legal federal law says that illegal the Supreme Court has said the illegal and that's all we're talking about here.

There are many, many ways to help disadvantaged people of various backgrounds.

And if more people in certain minority groups are suffering more than that, of course, means that they would be more likely to take advantage of any programs.

But the program still have to be around race and under the they can not do the banks around race.

All right.

Thank you so much.

That's where we're going to have to leave I'm glad we were able to do part 2, part 3 in the future.

I'm sure.

Xavier, Amy and Jacob, you're it.

Thanks to both for joining Thank you.

>> And that is our show for this Wednesday night.

Please be sure to sign up for our free email newsletter, the Daily Chicago and at W T Tw Dot Com Slash newsletter.

>> And join us tomorrow night at 5, 30 10 Chicago school board members are expected to vote on a budget amendment to cover a 175 million dollar pension payment.

Now for all of us here at Chicago tonight, why Brandis Friedman, thank you for watching.

Stay healthy and safe and have a good night.

>> Closed caption was made possible by Robert and Clifford law offices Chicago, personal injury and wrongful That is proud to be a