Illinois Policy Institute Ethics Complaint: Chicago Teachers Union Pressured Students to Vote ‘Yes’ on Tax Hike

Media footage from the Chicago Teachers Union's Student Power Forum and Parade to the Polls event shows several, explicit ethics violations.

Media coverage of the Chicago Teachers Union’s (CTU) March 15 Student Power Forum and Parade to the Polls event reveals blatant violations of the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Code of Ethics and warrants an immediate response from the district.

According to a CPS statement issued prior to the event, “The CTU has assured us that they will adhere to our policies and procedures, including our ethics policy.”

But footage from the event shows several, explicit ethics violations took place throughout this event, including:

• A reporter asked a student listed as attending Michelle Clark High School, “Did your teachers encourage you to vote for [Bring Chicago Home]?” The student responded, “yes.”
  • Source: ABC 7 reporting [2:01]
• A leader or volunteer with the Parade to the Polls was chanting a pro-tax-hike message to students as they walked to the polling place: “We will not give up the fight! Housing is a human right!”
  • Source: NBC 5 reporting [0:20] 
• Diana Trevino, student ambassador for event co-sponsor La Casa Norte delivered a pro-tax-hike speech to students at Chicago Teachers Union headquarters, indicating which way students should vote: “There are hundreds of students that don’t have a house. We need to bring important costs to this because a lot of people just go out … there’s people on the streets.”
  • Source: ABC 7 reporting [0:35]
• On chairs throughout the event were voter guides with a link to chicagovotes.com. On this website are illustrations of Bring Chicago Home advocates, saying “your valued vote is needed.”
  • Source: ABC 7 reporting [0:49]

This footage specifically shows evidence of clear “Political Activity” as defined in the CPS Code of Ethics: “Preparing for, organizing, or participating in any political meeting, political rally, political demonstration, or other political event.”

The district should take, at minimum, the following actions immediately:

• Conduct an independent investigation of the March 15 Student Power Forum for improper political activity as defined in the CPS Code of Ethics.
• Conduct a district-wide investigation into whether all students involved were approved to attend, including but not limited to whether involved students had parental or guardian approval to miss school and travel to another non-CPS location in the city.
• Conduct a district-wide investigation regarding the extent to which Chicago Public Schools employees pressured students to vote for the Bring Chicago Home referendum.
• Issue a policy decision making clear that the district will no longer sanction events for students organized by the Chicago Teachers Union during school hours.