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THE DAILY ILLINI
MONDAY October 14, 2019
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Vol. 149 Issue 15
Provocative email advertises passenger refund BY ETHAN SIMMONS STAFF WRITER
Over the next six months, former Suburban Express customers will cash out on owner Dennis Toeppen’s legal fees. The form for customers to submit payment requests closed last week. Anyone who bought Suburban Express tickets since April 23, 2014 could apply for up to $20 of the company’s $100,000 fine. Toeppen paid the fine as part of a three-year consent decree reached last April between Suburban Express and the state of Illinois, for the company’s “discrimination and harassment of customers and their families,” said the attorney general’s office in a press release. Suburban Express notified former customers of the payment request form in an email sent Oct. 7. “You purchased a ticket from Suburban Express in the past,” the email said. “Here is information regarding that purchase,
to help you receive ~$20 - sort of a rebate. We’re calling it Beer Money for Suburbanites.” In the email, Suburban Express called the lawsuit “slimy,” “predatory” and “full of unfounded, inflammatory claims” and labeled Attorneys General Lisa Madigan and Kwame Raou, both from Illinois, as “corrupt, opportunistic Illinois politicians.” Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed the lawsuit against Suburban Express for discrimination in April 2018. The lawsuit stemmed from a December 2017 marketing email by the company, which said its perks included “passengers like you. You won’t feel like you’re in China when you’re on our buses.” Madigan’s 39-page lawsuit attached 182 pages of exhibits, including Suburban Express’ “Page of Shame,” which lists the personal information of banned customers, Yelp comments left by the com-
pany on negative reviews and copies of the marketing emails sent by the company. Beyond the advertisements, Suburban Express allegedly encouraged employees to avoid giving coupons to students who spoke English poorly and denied credit cards of residents from ZIP codes with high Jewish populations. According to the lawsuit, Toeppen also posted a YouTube video of himself in a University dorm mocking Asian accents. The recent email includes 2017 statistics of the University ’s international enrollment near the end, highlighting the number of students from China, India and Korea. “To cover up the fact that University of Illinois has to pander to students from other countries in order to stay afloat, they have decided to call themselves Inclusive Illinois,” Suburban Express said in an email.
Suburban Express legal timeline The payment request form for former Suburban Express customers closed last week. Here's are the events that led to the $100,000 fine of Suburban Express owner Dennis Toeppen and the distribution of that money to customers. Dec. 1, 2017: Suburban Express email advertisement says benefits include “Passengers like you. You won’t feel like you’re in China when you’re on our buses.”
April 23,2018: Previous Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan sues Suburban Express for violation of Civil Rights Act of 1964, right to privacy and illegal contract terms.
April 9, 2019: New Illinois AG Kwame Raoul reaches three-year consent decree with Dennis Toeppen.
May 7, 2019: Suburban Express shuts down.
May 15, 2019: Dennis Toeppen pays $100,000 fine as part of consent decree.
Oct. 9, 2019: Payment requests from Suburban Express customers are due to AG office.
Nov. 15, 2019: This date is the original deadline for AG office to distribute payments to customers.
April 3, 2020: This date is the extended deadline for AG office to distribute payments to customers.
Source: News Gazette
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Two swastikas found on campus in single week campus to safely and freely express their perspectives and opinions,” Jones said. “But we will also be ready to condemn statements and actions that violate our shared values and seek to demean, intimidate or devalue others in our community.” Jones said a few immediate initiatives would take place in response to this first incident. He said the vice chancellor for Student Affairs will fully review the hiring, training and professional oversight of resident advisors and multicultural advocates. AntiSemitism training for all full-time University Housing staff, RAs and MAs will take place at the end of the semester, and an external review of University Housing multicultural educational programs will take place. In a previous article about the first incident, Erez Cohen, executive director of Illini Hillel told The Daily Illini in an email he was more shocked about the mandatory training than the actual swastika found.
BY SAMANTHA BOYLE NEWS EDITOR
PHOTO COURTESY OF JACK DYKINGA
A pirate bug feeds on whitefly nymphs. According to a document by Illinois Department of Public Health, minute pirate bugs are 1/8 inch long and mostly feed on small insects and insect eggs.
Heat prompts presence of minute pirate bugs BY KIMBERLY BELSER STAFF WRITER
The ‘prolonged’ heat this year has caused a greater appearance of minute pirate bugs in central Illinois, which have been found at the University and in residence halls. Chelsea Hamilton, senior assistant director of communications and marketing for University Housing, said the office received its first report of pirate bugs in
September through a maintenance request. After University Housing received concerns about the “little pests” showing up in dorms, it sent out the pest control team. The team reported back that the insects were Orius insidiosus, more commonly known as minute pirate bugs, Hamilton said. According to a document by Illinois Department of
Public Health, minute pirate bugs are 1/8 inch long and mostly feed on small insects and insect eggs. Nicholas Seiter, professor in ACES, said in an email if he had to guess how pirate bugs got their name, it may be because of their aggressive nature, as they “plunder” their prey. Seiter said pirate bugs are quite common in central Illinois and are widely distrib-
uted throughout the United States. These bugs are commonly found on a wide variety of plants, especially flowering plants. Hamilton said minute pirate bugs emerge every year. The office has had reports of the bugs in the past when central Illinois experienced prolonged heat that lasted into fall. This year, the SEE BUGS | 3A
A swastika was reported drawn on a bathroom stall in the Foreign Language Building Monday. In response, Chancellor Robert Jones sent out a Massmail denouncing anti-Semitism and apologizing to the University. One day later on Thursday, another swastika was found drawn onto a bathroom stall in Taft Hall. No Massmail addressing the second incident has been sent; however, in Wednesday’s address, Jones stated, “acts and expressions of anti-Semitism are acts and expressions of hatred and discrimination that are in direct opposition to our core values.” In addition to these incidents, Jones addressed concerns about anti-Semitic content made by a University Housing student-worker at a staff development program. He assured housing staff will meet individually with all who were involved to fully understand the presentation. “We will always recognize the rights of those on the sjboyle2@dailyillini.com
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UI works to adopt Indigenous Peoples’ Day BY LUIS VELAZQUEZ STAFF WRITER
On the second Monday of October each year, the United States recognizes Christopher Columbus in the form of a federal holiday. However, the University does not acknowledge it as a holiday in its academic calendar. This national holiday
contains a current controversial discussion as to why it is recognized. “All campus designated holidays are determined by Chancellor Jones,” said Meghan Hazen, registrar of the University, in an email. Like many other European explorers, Columbus came across many indigenous people throughout
his exploration of the New World. According to History. com, there are three main sources of controversy regarding Columbus. He labeled Native Americans as “Indians,” forced conversion to Christianity and carried new diseases that still have long-term effects on Native Americans.
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“There is a lot of racism behind the day, because it’s supposed to celebrate who founded America, and it focuses on one white man rather than the native people who found the land,” said Marissa Finley, director of the Illinois Student Government. The ISG has recently
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