Chicago Public Schools seeks $10 million from crooked ex-boss

Chicago's Northwest Side

If Al Capone was around today he'd be in charge of Chicago Public Schools. Because that's where the big money is.

From the Chicago Sun-Times:

Chicago Public Schools CEO Forrest Claypool is demanding that his convicted predecessor, Barbara Byrd-Bennett, reimburse the cash-strapped school district about $10 million — or triple the salary she was paid at CPS and the kickbacks promised her.

Last fall, Byrd-Bennett pleaded guilty to a scheme to get a 10 percent kickback from contracts granted to SUPES Academy, a north suburban principal training company that once employed her.

The woman once affectionately known as B3 was done in by her own audacious emails demanding a college fund for her twin grandsons. In one, she claimed she had "tuitions to pay and casinos to visit."

Now Claypool wants to throw the book at Byrd-Bennett, using a state law that allows government agencies to go after corrupt individuals or contractors to the tune of triple the amount paid to those criminals.

Go for it, Forrest, go for it.

B3 was Rahm Emanuel's choice to serve as the boss for CPS. And Byrd-Bennett used to be a big shot at one of the few urban school district's worse than Chicago's.

Detroit.

Illinois' reform governor, Republican Bruce Rauner, wants to give the ability to CPS to declare bankruptcy and to place Chicago's government-run schools into receivership. Those are good ideas.

Related post:

Nearly-bankrupt Detroit Public Schools' execs among nation's best paid