Chicago school board chief believed dead
Investigators believe that a body found Monday in the Chicago River is that of Michael Scott, president of the Chicago Board of Education, a fire department spokesman said.
The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office will provide conclusive identification, said Quention Curtis of the Chicago Fire Department.
Cook County Board President Todd Stroger released a statement indicating that Scott was dead.
"Mr. Scott was a strong advocate for education," the statement said. "His contributions to the minority communities of Cook County will be sorely missed, in particular, his love for the upward mobility of residents from Chicago's West Side where he spent his life."
In Washington, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan also mourned Scott's death, saying he was "shocked and saddened by the sudden death" of his "friend and colleague.
"Michael cared passionately about public education and made many courageous decisions as president of the board. He gave his time, energy and talents to improving the life chances of children.
"Chicago has lost a great leader, and the city's school children have lost a devoted champion."
Duncan was the chief executive officer of the Chicago school system from 2001 to 2008.
Emergency crews received a report of a body at 3:23 a.m. CT and recovered one a few minutes after arriving, Curtis said. Authorities also found Scott's car nearby, he said.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson recalled first meeting Scott about 30 years ago.
"We're just stunned and shocked," he said by phone. "Michael was so effervescent, so full of life."
The Chicago police would say only that authorities had found the body of an adult male about 3:15 a.m. in the area of 350 N. Orleans St., a road near a waterway in Chicago.
CNN affiliate WGN-TV, citing unnamed police sources, said Scott's family had reported him missing Sunday evening.
WLS-TV also reported that it was Scott's body that emergency crews recovered from the water. A report on the station's Web site did not cite a source but noted that Scott's wife, Diana Palomar, is the station's vice president of community affairs.
Scott had been appointed to the Chicago Board of Education three times, twice as president. He most recently was appointed in February. Previously, Scott was board president for five years, until July 2006.
Scott disclosed in early August that he had been subpoenaed to testify before a federal grand jury investigating how students were chosen for admission to some of Chicago's most elite public schools.
He denied using his influence during two stints as board president to help any student into a selective-enrollment school.
Scott, who was a developer, also was criticized in August when it was revealed that he had quietly arranged to develop city-owned land near a park that would have been used in the 2016 Summer Games. The move would have positioned Scott to cash in, had Chicago been awarded the Olympics.
The 2016 Games were awarded to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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Sources: CNN, Google Maps
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