UChicago Charter School

The University of Chicago Charter School’s Woodlawn campus.

A December 2022 video recorded at University of Chicago Charter School Woodlawn Campus allegedly shows special education teacher Aaron Pennix and aide Latilda Sight shouting at and mocking a 15-year-old special education student.

According to The Chicago Tribune, which reviewed the video, Sight repeatedly used profanity and initiated physical contact with the student during the altercation. The student could be seen “cowering in his seat” and crying.

In a statement to The Maroon, a University spokesperson wrote, “The University of Chicago Charter School (UCCS)… does not condone or tolerate the type of conduct that occurred on December 15, 2022 at the Woodlawn High School Campus, which is contrary to our polices and values. The UCCS believes that all students have a right to education in a school that is welcoming and protective, in an environment of mutual respect.”

A federal civil rights lawsuit filed against the University of Chicago Charter School in December 2023 by Stephanie Holmes, mother of the allegedly mistreated student, has been settled as of February 9.

The UCSS is a network of three publicly-funded school campuses that operate under the oversight of the University of Chicago’s Urban Education Institute (UEI).

“The UCCS swiftly investigated the incident and the former employees involved in the incident have not been at UCCS since the incident occurred. We continue to work closely with all UCCS employees to reinforce best practices in support of our students, families, teachers, and staff,” the University spokesperson explained.

Sight resigned from her position the day after the incident. She was convicted of misdemeanor battery in May 2023. Pennix was fired by the school in January 2023, after being placed on leave pending an internal investigation that found he had violated campus policies.

Pennix’s termination letter stated that after the altercation, he “presented self-serving and changing reports on what occurred in the class” to the school administration. The student was initially suspended from the school but was allowed to return after a review of the video recording, school records show.

On December 21, 2023, Holmes filed a civil rights lawsuit against UCCS (Woodlawn), alleging “negligent hiring, training, supervision, and retention of employees.” Pennix, Sight, and the Chicago Board of Education, a governing body that oversees Chicago’s public schools and provides funding for charter schools, were named as defendants in the case.

The lawsuit has since been settled. “We have agreed to settlement terms, which I am not at liberty to discuss,” said Jordan Marsh, the family’s attorney, in a statement to The Maroon on February 9. “[The settlement] was relatively recent,” he said.

The purpose of the lawsuit, according to a blog post on Marsh’s website, was “not only to seek justice for our client but also to prompt systemic changes within the school system to prevent such unacceptable incidents from occurring in the future.”