Sister of Stroger ally gets juvy home post

Chicago Sun-Times

November 17, 2005

By Steve Patterson and Abdon Pallasch; Contributing: Annie Sweeney

Cook County Board President John Stroger has spent months battling allegations his Juvenile Temporary Detention Center is a dumping ground for political patronage.

But the Chicago Sun-Times has learned a key leadership job at the center has been handed to the sister of a county commissioner.

Maria Griselda Moreno Szafarczyk is set to take over as deputy superintendent at the embattled center, even though she has no experience in juvenile justice.

Szafarczyk is the sister of Commissioner Joseph Mario Moreno (D-Cicero), a loyal Stroger ally.

"I didn't think she'd make the final cut, because she's my sister," Moreno said, acknowledging he handed Stroger his sister's resume, along with those of two others.

Stroger said he wanted a bilingual female for the job and asked Moreno for recommendations.

"It wasn't patronage at all," Moreno said. "She's someone the president and his staff agreed on."

ACLU SEEKING REFORM

Szafarczyk, who spent 30 years as an administrator at Richard J. Daley College before retiring last year, did not return a call.

Her resume, however, notes she is "able to work with multi-cultural populations, especially young people" and is bilingual.

Stroger, referring to her as "Ms. Moreno," said Szafarczyk has a record of "working with young people" and will work under Supt. Jerry Robinson, though "I don't know specifically what position he'll assign her to."

Stroger denied political patronage had anything to do with Szafarczyk getting the job that pays about $60,000 a year, echoing his response to Sun-Times findings that 89 juvenile center employees live in his South Side 8th Ward.

"They don't seem to understand the need for independent, experienced, competent leadership," said Benjamin Wolf, attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union.

The ACLU sued county officials in 1999 on behalf of the children at the juvenile center, alleging shoddy conditions.

In August, the Sun-Times revealed many employees there have criminal backgrounds, while children there have filed repeated complaints about physical and sexual abuse by staff members.

Court filings show the ACLU has repeatedly pleaded with Stroger to hire credentialed experts with experience in running juvenile centers, to no avail.

But Stroger said, "I always talk to people after we select them and let them know I don't want no embarrassment" and that he expects them to "hold up the integrity of the institution and me."

But critics say Szafarczyk's hiring is only the latest in a wave of moves that discredits the center.

Commissioner Forrest Claypool, who is vying for Stroger's job, said he credits Stroger for being "consistent -- nobody gets hired who isn't politically connected."

Commissioner Mike Quigley, also challenging Stroger, said Szafarczyk's hiring was bothersome.

"Every time we do nationwide searches for the best candidates, it turns out to be like the Wizard of Oz," he said. "We travel the world, but there's no place like home."

Copyright 2005, Chicago Sun-Times, Inc.

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