Oak Park Professor Yelled Racial Slurs, Spit At Black Woman: Cops

OAK PARK, IL — A 53-year-old professor has been charged with a felony hate crime after police said he yelled racial slurs and spit on a Black woman and her daughter outside an Oak Park grocery store earlier this month.

Alberto Friedmann, a health sciences professor at the National University of Health Sciences, is also accused of driving his Jaguar toward the woman and nearly striking her with the car, according to prosecutors. The incident occurred Sept. 7 outside of a Jewel-Osco on the 400 block of West Madison Street.

Cook County prosecutors said the woman and her daughter were parked along the traffic lane, waiting to pick up her mother from grocery shopping at around 4:30 p.m. While sitting in their car, the woman said she heard someone honking and yelling from the car behind her.

Police said Friedmann got out of his Jaguar and yelled a racial slur at the woman before telling her to move her car. He approached the woman while continuing to yell slurs, according to court documents. At one point, the woman told police she tried to open her door to get out of her car, but Friedmann pushed the door shut and then spit in her face.

Friedmann told the woman he spit on her because he "doesn't like Black people," prosecutors said. The woman's mother had come out of the store at around the same time and reported seeing Friedmann yell and spit on her daughter.

When the man got back into his vehicle, witnesses told police the woman got out of her car to try to take down his license plate number. She then yelled for someone nearby to call the police.

Prosecutors said Friedmann accelerated towards the woman, who had to step out of the way to avoid being hit.

Store security footage captured Friedmann hitting the back of the woman's car with his car twice, prosecutors said. He is also facing one count of felony aggravated assault with a motor vehicle.

Witnesses told police that Friedmann got out of his car again, but onlookers intervened and stopped him. He was arrested shortly thereafter, and police said he admitted to spitting at the woman and running into her car.

Friedmann, an Oak Park resident, holds a doctorate in kinesiology and exercise science and neurology. He teaches neuro kinesiology at the National University of Health Sciences, his attorney said during his court hearing Sunday.

Friedmann was released from custody after posting bond, according to court records.