Content Warning: This article contains mentions of sexual assault

Evanston’s Director of Parks and Recreation Lawrence Hemingway resigned Monday, according to a WBEZ report. 

Hemingway was appointed to the role in 2016. His resignation comes one week after WBEZ published an investigative story revealing new information on the city’s mismanagement of lakefront sexual misconduct allegations. 

The city hired an outside law firm last summer to complete an independent report on the lakefront misconduct, which Evanston officials said will be released soon, according to WBEZ. There is a closed-door special City Council meeting scheduled for Tuesday.

The initial allegations come from a petition WBEZ obtained, which was written by four women and brought to the city last summer. The claims included an allegation that a lifeguard, who was 18 at the time, was raped by an older employee who served as a manager. 

Karen Hawk, the former assistant director for the city’s parks department, resigned in October amid an outside investigation on the city’s handling of the abuse allegations. Hawk was among the five Evanston employees who met with the group of women who presented the petition to the city last summer. Since October, at least three of those employees have resigned from their city positions. 

Evanston’s Head of Human Resources Jennifer Lin was suspended in July, and former City Manager Erika Storlie left office in October due in part to significant community backlash.

Documentation of misconduct by Hemingway has spanned multiple years, according to WBEZ’s report. In 2019, the city found Hemingway had violated sexual harassment policies for leaving inappropriate comments on a co-worker’s social media posts and calling her inappropriate names. 

In August 2021, Hemingway was appointed as the new parks director for Oakland County, Mich., but he rescinded his application amid public scrutiny. 

This is a developing story and will be updated as new information becomes available.

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— Parks and Recreation Department’s top deputy resigns, takes job in Lincolnwood

— Evanston residents speak out in solidarity with lakefront employees alleging sexual misconduct

— Storlie may step down as city manager following allegations of sexual harassment by lakefront staff