Ahead Of Sex Abuse Report Release, Evanston Parks Director Quits

EVANSTON, IL — The director of Evanston's parks quit a day before the City Council is due to discuss a recently completed outside investigation into the handling of allegations of sexual harassment and abuse among lakefront employees.

Lawrence Hemingway resigned from his position Monday, effective immediately, according to a message from interim City Manager Kelley Gandurski to the City Council.

Hemingway becomes the latest city staffer to resign in the wake of a scandal over accusations of sexual misconduct toward girls and women working for the parks department as lifeguards.

The City Council commissioned an independent probe from the law firm Salvatore, Prescott, Porter & Porter after a July 2021 WBEZ report revealed a petition describing a culture of rampant sexism with dozens of detailed anonymous allegations had been circulated among current and former female lakefront employees and shared with city staff the previous summer.

That report has been completed and was provided to the Evanston City Council on Sunday — a day before Hemingway's resignation.

The park director's departure follows those of former Human Resources Division Manager Jennifer Lin — who negotiated a severance package worth more than $50,000 — as well as former Assistant Parks Director Karen Hawk and former Recreation Manager Ray Doerner. All three were among the five city staffers who met with the organizers of the petition in July 2020.

Former City Manager Erika Storlie, who asserted that city staff had not shared the full contents of the petition with her at the time, also negotiated a severance agreement that saw her depart in October 2021.

Hemingway was appointed director of parks, recreational and community services department in Evanston in 2016 after spending six years working in the Detroit suburbs. His total budgeted compensation was nearly $180,000 this year.

Last August, he was appointed to a job as parks director in Oakland County, Michigan, but withdrew from consideration ahead of a background check and final approval from county commissioners, as more details of the lifeguard sex abuse scandal emerged and local media there covered past allegations against him.

As Patch reported in 2019, Hemingway faced a public accusation of sexual harassment from a former employee, who told Patch she was not the only woman that he harassed. Records obtained by Patch show that employee's complaint was filed in November 2018 and that Hemingway was issued a written reprimand in February 2019 after staff determined that he had made inappropriate sexual comments about her in the workplace. The portion of the form after "prior discipline issued" was redacted.

The "tipping point" for the 2020 petition drive was the return of a manager, in his 20s at the time, who received only a written warning and was allowed to return to work for the season after senior parks department staff were warned about his repeated advances toward young female employees in 2019, one of the petition's organizers told WBEZ. She told the station that she and her fellow organizers had not been comfortable bringing the petition to Hemingway due to the past allegations against him.

Gandurski has not yet named an interim parks and recreation director. Hemingway resigned without arranging a separation agreement, according to a city spokesperson. Patch has requested a copy of the outside probe's report and Hemingway's letter of resignation and will provide updates when they are received.

The City Council has scheduled a special meeting for Tuesday evening. The only thing on the agenda — other than a postponed second formal reading of an amendment to the city's liquor code to restrict the American Legion from selling alcohol to people other than members or guests or during late-night hours — is a closed-session discussion of a personnel matter.

Related:

• Ex-Evanston HR Chief Jennifer Lin Pockets Payout To Resign Amid Investigation
• Longtime Evanston Parks Department Staffer Karen Hawk Exits For Lincolnwood
• Parks Director Lawrence Hemingway Withdraws From Appointment In Michigan
• Lakefront Sex Harassment Scandal Probe Assigned To Outside Firm
• Harassment Petition Not Shared By Staff, Evanston Mayor Says