Mass shooting survivor fired from his job reaches apparent settlement

HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. — A man who says he experienced post-traumatic stress disorder following a mass shooting he witnessed on the job appears to have settled with his former local government employer, Raw Story exclusively learned.

Four of the five commissioners for the Park District of Highland Park voted Wednesday evening to approve a settlement agreement with an unidentified former employee. One commissioner left the meeting before the vote.

Chris Maliszewski, a former recreation director for the Park District, was terminated from his job in December — news Raw Story broke earlier this year.

“It’s a chapter in my life I never wanted to be written, but as of tonight, it’s a chapter I’m glad is closed,” Maliszewski, who confirmed the vote was about him, told Raw Story in a phone interview immediately after the Park Board of Commissioners meeting.

The amount of the settlement has yet to be disclosed.

RELATED: Highland Park fires rec director who’s suffering from mass shooting-induced PTSD

Maliszewski said he was unable to return to work after experiencing a panic attack on the job following an active shooter incident. The panic attack came 10 months after Maliszewski worked the Chicago suburb’s Fourth of July parade in 2022 that turned deadly when a shooter killed seven people and injured at least 48.

“The Park District is not able to grant you an indefinite leave of absence and, therefore, is ending your employment,” said Laurel Hall, director of human resources and workforce development, in a Dec. 27 termination letter shared with Raw Story. “The Park District is proceeding with posting the vacancy for the new Assistant Director position to prevent undue burden on the Park District operations and staff.”

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Brian Romes, executive director for the Park District, declined to comment, as did Commissioners Terry Grossberg, Jennifer Freeman, Brian Kaplan and Barney Ruttenberg. Commissioner Cal Bernstein left the meeting after closed session and did not vote.

Update 5/10/24 at 11:15 a.m. ET: "The matter has been resolved and the Park District has no further comment," Liz Gogola, a spokesperson for the Park District, told Raw Story.