Chicago Police Department Blocks Applicant for Alleged Hate Crime
Citing a six-year-old hate crime charge, the Chicago Police Department (CPD) is attempting to block the hire of an Illinois man, according to an article by The Chicago Tribune. The hate crime charge in question was never prosecuted, however, raising questions about this course of action.
The CPD applicant in question, Patrick Lavin, was formerly an undergraduate student at Southern Illinois University. Approximately one year before he graduated, Lavin was involved in an argument over a taxi that turned physical. Two groups began jostling with each other, resulting in injuries to several people. One of the injured parties was gay, leading authorities to charge Lavin with a hate crime as well as felony aggravated battery and misdemeanor battery.
Lavin maintains that the hate crime label was and is inappropriate; he never intended to injure anyone on the basis of sexual orientation. Prosecutors eventually dropped the hate crime and [...]
