Charge Over Nooses At Haven Middle School Diverted In Juvenile Court

EVANSTON, IL — Court officials said the disorderly conduct charge filed in juvenile court against the Evanston/Skokie School District student accused of affixing a trio of nooses to a tree outside Haven Middle School has been resolved with a diversion program.

The nooses were found on May 13 handing from a tree between Haven and Kingsley Elementary School following a student-led protest and walkout regarding staffing charges at the district, according to police and school administrators.

About six weeks later, Evanston police announced the department had concluded its investigation and identified the Haven student who was responsible for the nooses. State law prohibits the release of the student's identity and most details about the resulting court case without a judge's order.

At the time, police and district officials said prosecutors in the Cook County State's Attorney's Office "reviewed the Evanston Police Department’s investigation and determined that the offending juvenile would not be referred to Juvenile Court for a Hate Crime Offense because the actions and motive of the involved juvenile did not meet the legal, statutory elements of a hate crime."

"Now that the EPD investigation has concluded, the District will move forward with its own internal investigation to determine the appropriate level of interventions, both disciplinary and restorative. This matter was very troubling and we must take the steps necessary to help ensure that this type of hurtful act does not happen again," Superintendent Devon Horton said last month in a message to the community.

Related: Nooses Found At Evanston Middle School Not Hate Crime, Prosecutors Say

"We fully recognize the harm of these actions on our community, especially for our Black students, staff, families, and residents. Our schools must be safe spaces so that all members of our district community feel a sense of belonging and welcomeness," the superintendent said.

"This is why we remain deeply and intentionally committed to dismantling systems of oppression within our own district, addressing historic inequities through policy, procedural, and programming changes, and creating opportunities for healing and community building," he continued.

The majority of juvenile cases Evanston police refer to prosecutors end up in diversion programs, according to Cmdr. Ryan Glew.

"Once it gets referred to juvenile court we are no longer involved in the process," Glew said.

According to statement from District 65, the administration has not yet finished its own investigation of the incident.

"Our District was fully cooperative in the investigation conducted by law enforcement personnel and we must trust that the process was handled with diligence and care to ensure justice is served," it said. "Our investigation remains ongoing. Given student privacy laws, we are unable to share any updates beyond this."

Now that the misdemeanor case has been diverted, a decision made solely by the state's attorney's office, there are no future juvenile court dates scheduled, according to Mary Wisniewski, spokesperson for the Cook County chief judge's office.

"There are services that the minor must engage in depending on the assessments given by the agencies used for diversion services," Wisniewski said in an email. "If the minor fails to comply, the [state's attorney] could file a Petition and send the case to court."

Diversion programs can include community service or counseling, according to the Evanston RoundTable, which first reported the state's attorney's decision in the case.

No information about the student's case was immediately available from the state's attorney's office. Any additional information received will be added here.

At a demonstration held outside Haven 10 days after the nooses were discovered, the son of one of the protestors told WFLD-TV he wished more people would speak up about the nooses.

"I've heard a lot of racist things at the school," the 6th grader said. "It's not really that surprising to me."