Column: Will Waukegan have to pay for alderman's tacky stunt?
There's an overall consensus that Waukegan Ald. Keith Turner exhibited bad taste last May when he posted a photo of a human body part on social media. But is that crass move worthy of a $500,000 claim against the city?
An attorney for the family of the Milwaukee woman whose severed arm was found on the city's public beach is contending it could be. Turner surely didn't see a possible lawsuit coming as the family of Sade Robinson seeks closure in her grisly death.
But then, this is a litigious society we live in. Anybody can be sued, even for a tacky stunt like the alderman pulled.
According to Steve Sadin's front-page News-Sun story the other day, the attorney submitted a notice of claim informing Waukegan officials that the Turner incident is under review, and reserving the right to eventually file a lawsuit which might seek more than a half-million dollars. The estate will allege emotional distress and 'interference with the right to entomb and mourn.'
Robinson was a 19-year-old student at the Milwaukee Area Technical College who disappeared in early April 2024. Other parts of her body were found scattered in the Milwaukee area.
Maxwell Anderson, 33, of Milwaukee, was charged by Milwaukee police with murder, mutilating a corpse and arson in her killing. Robinson went missing after the two met for a first-date dinner. Anderson has pleaded not guilty, and his trial is slated to start May 27 in Milwaukee.
After the arm, which was severed at the shoulder, was discovered on the Waukegan lakeshore, 53 miles from Milwaukee, Turner posted a photo of it on social media for a couple of days. It was his attempt at a 'gotcha moment,' aimed at the administration of then-Mayor Ann Taylor.
That stunt backfired for the alderman, who ran for mayor in last month's city election. He finished a distant third, and his aldermanic seat is up for election in the 2027 election.
Given numerous opportunities, he has yet to apologize for not only putting the city in a bad light, but also its taxpayers, who will be on the hook for any payment. That lack of remorse and any offering of atonement may have caused the lawsuit threat for municipalities that have those proverbial deep pockets when it comes to legal filings.
Most of us know that not everything needs to be posted on social media, especially a queasy photo of a severed arm. Turner, though, couldn't resist and posted it on his 'Friends of Keith Turner' Facebook page. Imagine what Turner would do if the tables were turned.
The body-part picture was accompanied by this teaser: 'Shocking discovery at Waukegan Beach! A severed arm found, but no report or mention from the administration. What's the story behind this mysterious incident?'
Members of Robinson's family, though, going through the trauma of learning of their daughter's gruesome death, found the posting of her severed arm a disgusting thing to do. Most right-thinking folks would agree.
Waukegan officials have been clear that city personnel didn't provide Turner with the photograph. Because it was an active criminal investigation, city officials didn't comment on the discovery of the body part until Turner's 'scoop.'
At the time, Robinson's mother, Sheena Scarbrough, in an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, questioned why a 'professional person' would post something like that. 'We're dealing with trauma,' she said.
Taylor, echoing the family's sentiment, said in a statement: 'On behalf of the City of Waukegan, I find the posting of an image of this type to be morally disgusting, socially irresponsible, and extremely cruel to the victim's family. He was never given permission to post the photo on his Facebook page.'
Most of Turner's City Council colleagues concurred with Taylor. Indeed, members of the City Council voted to censure Turner for the tasteless action by a 6-3 vote. That may not be enough mitigation to avoid a lawsuit.
According to the filing, Robinson's mother first saw her daughter's arm on social media, Sadin reported. The attorney said in the document that she may want to gather evidence about the city's role in handling and identifying the remains, mishandling the arm, any role the city had with the posting of the arm on Turner's social media page, or acts of omission by city officials.
That's a fairly wide net in alerting Waukegan legal eagles of what the basis of any lawsuit may entail. Those city lawyers may also include the newest law firm representing not the city, but its aldermen solely.
If any lawsuit ends up in court, a judge or jury will have to decide if an indelicate social media posting is worth more than $500,000 for the bereaved of Sade Robinson. If it turns out to be so, it is another cautionary tale for those who post without thinking.
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