After canceling a quarterly meeting with some top cultural brains of Chicago for the second time, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Program Commissioner Clini Headsspath is facing criticism from the appointment of previous administration, which says that the struggling art industry says that the struggling art industry says I am leaving “zero”.
Headspath postponed the Cultural Advisory Council meeting by the end of February a few days before last week. Advisory Council member Amina Dickerson said that the decision of non -communication with art leaders “continue to have a pattern”.
“I think a city is defined by its cultural vibrancy,” Decorson said, an art worker had long been among the local cultural institutions. “He needs support, which needs consultation, which needs to be careful to maintain. And I am not sure this is a priority. ,
Headspath also faces threatening allegations from several employees, a record obtained by the Tribune Show. Nearly a quarter of the department’s resignation has been resigned or fired in March since Mayor Brandon Johnson appointed Headspath.
The commissioner testified in the city council on Tuesday, where most Aldermen signed a letter condemning the “protest puppet” on public performance at the Chicago Cultural Center. Some Aldermen called for a puppet – uncle Sam and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a bloodted Cariccher, intended to criticize Israel’s military action in Gaza and to take down its American support.
During the chaotic meeting, several city council members aggressively interrogated Headspath, who defended the decision of his department, which was left so far.
The Cultural Advisory Council currently consists of only members appointed only by other mayors, according to the city records. Johnson is ready to add some of his members to the next meeting of the group. HEDSPETH – who was the Cook County Commissioner served as the Legislative Director of Johnson for more than two years – he said that the meeting was postponed to include him and make the meeting “more important”.
But some councils argue that the cancellation is one of the reasons and the “zero” headspath’s tenure has been signed in the struggling art industry of the city.
The city struggles through a painful post-pandemic recovery in the form of the theaters, museums and places of the city, people worked with advice to the city hall to support how to support the art “or don’t know what to support the art” Is what the headspath is thinking, what plans are being made, “Decorson, a appointer of Mayor Lori Lightfoot who previously served as his chair.
As a result, Dickerson said, the art organizations are watching elsewhere for fast guidance.
“Apart from receiving a grant, there is no sense of vision, not a sense of leadership that helps us understand how to navigate whether to be a very difficult area,” he said. “What am I distressed about: Will we be able to build back and what would it take to restore some confidence of the art community?”
Powerful citizen is a significant link to the leaders of the advisory council department to publicly listen to philanthropic groups, theaters, artists, museums, festivals, art funds and more. Many tasks of DCASE include working with high-dollar film and TV industries, sharing grants with artists and art organizations, organizing public arts and allowing special programs such as Lolapluja or NASCAR Chicago Street Race.
The council’s chair, Koya Paz, said that he believes the group is “weak”. But he said that Headspath came in a difficult situation, where several industry leaders had close ties with former Commissioner Erin Harki, who were fired by Johnson. Harki told The Tribune on Wednesday that he was recently hired as CEO of DC non -profit Americans for art.
“I think there is a vision,” said strategic director Paz at the freestyle theater. “I think we are all very curious about how we can know more about it and support the supporting support.”
Paz said that he does not think the priorities of the department have changed under the headspath and they believe that the focus of the new commissioner is getting into funding – an attempt in which Paz believes that the headspath “has been very successful. . ”
Despite passing the 2025 budget of Johnson and City Council struggles, this year the artists helped secure an increase of $ 1 million in the amount of money spent on grant. The city will spend $ 7 million on grant, an increase in Johnson’s 2024 budget compared to $ 6 million, but a decrease in the 2023 budget of the lightfoot by $ 10 million, which received more federal support.
Headspath told ABC -7 in December that his vision for the department was “data -operated”, including “more activeness in communities, more support for artists”.
Shortly after the appointment of March, it was asked what his goals were, Headspath had very little to say the tribune.
“I think it would be foolish to share some of them,” he said. “I have them and I am planning to share them soon.”
Headspath said in a statement that she welcomes more dialogues with the members of the council.
“I have worked with cooperation with the members of CAC who have expressed interest in having regular communication with me and will continue to partner with them for the betterment of the art community,” he wrote.
But the Advisory Council member Tonica Johnson Lewis, another lightfoot appointment, resonated Decorson’s concerns on the non -communication of the headspath with the group.
Johnson Lewis, a social justice artist, praised the DCASE grant programs, who have enabled some of their own public art projects. But he said that “no attempt” to attach the council to attach to the council has taken place and “really is a complete lack of attempt to learn.”
Complaints of employees alleging abuse
Headspath has faced at least four formal complaints, which has been mainly accused of abuse of employees as Johnson appointed him in March.
The departure of the employees is “due to the leadership of Headspath”, a complainant, who alleged that the headspath shouted him in the office and cursed him in front of strangers.
In every complaint received by the tribune, the human resource staff determined that the investigation should not proceed, although in a case he decided that the allegations left Johnson’s Chief of Staff, Christina Pacion-Jayas.
When asked about complaints and high turnover of the department, Headspath said in a statement that the city does not comment on “matters of personnel”, but said that staffing changes are “common and expected.” He said that the department is filing vacancies and “successfully brought into a new talent as the posts have been posted,” he said.
The full -time head count of the department stood on 61 employees on 31 December, before a decline of 71 employees, Johnson fired him before he fired him, according to a WB’s report, WB’s on the high turnover of the department. noticed. Johnson ordered a task in September to help balance the city’s budget, although the department hired several employees in the decline.
According to the record obtained by the tribune, between the appointment of Headspath between the appointment and August, at least 18 employees have left the department.
As he handled the four complaints made to the Inspector General of the city and the Human Resource Department, the Office of Employment Office Office, similar to the City Hall, cited a lack of cooperation from the complainants, “speculative” allegations and the absence of violations in “protected categories” As he determined the investigation. Should not move forward.
The complaint warning the Pacione-Zayas included an allegation that HEDSPETH had cursed an employee in front of a couple, in which the employee took a long time to give a business card to the pair at the request of HEDSPETH.
According to Records, Headspath told the employee, “What F-“. “Get your F -S – together.”
The complainant told the investigators that the couple was “surprised” and never arrived later. Headspath allegedly made a noise to calm the children to calm down in a later incident, “One of the worst things” was “ever seen by the complainant”.
The complaint sent to Pachian-Jayas also threatened the staff, told an employee that “you are on thin ice” and “see your back” office stresses increased.
A complaint accused the headspath of almost never met with high-level department employees. The complainant said the headspath is “especially corrected on tickets for events,” the complainant said, controlling the tickets, preventing senior employees from participating in events in their scope. Headspath’s leadership “worried about public stakeholders,” he told the investigators.
In another complaint made in May, an employee alleged that Headspath tried to tease “witch” against a group participating with the city after making the group’s mayor’s comments important. According to the complaint, Headspath directed four department employees to “see” the partner group after comments.
An employee alleged in another complaint that Headspath ordered him to carry his purse, phone and jacket in an incident. The complainant felt “embarrassed and collapsed” by the complainant after being “behaved like a personal assistant” by the then new commissioner. The complaint states that a few days later, the employee was given a new assignment, before they were told that they would need to resign or remove. The complainant also alleged that Headspath treated black employees better than others.