But as those weeks following the killings turned into months, communication about available resources significantly diminished. This stanched the recoveries of some Park District employees still profoundly affected after working during the shooting, according to interviews with community members and records from the Park District of Highland Park obtained by
Raw Story through an Illinois Freedom of Information Act request.
“Now all we are is a resource to the community and a vehicle for their healing, and nothing gets returned from the Park District perspective unless we get a sandwich tray,” said Chris Maliszewski, 41, a former director of recreation suffering from trauma following the parade who was recently fired,
news Raw Story broke last week. “We have all these staff members suffering and that's all we're talking about on a daily basis is the shooting, the shooting, the shooting, the shooting.”
Maura McGlynn, 31, was working as a Park District employee during the July 4, 2022, parade as the director of the Girls Play Strong summer camp when she ended up using her first responder training to treat both people who died and survived that day.
McGlynn says she was disappointed in the early communication by local government leaders, who left employees “waiting and wondering what the next steps were."
Leaders, McGlynn said, should have decreed: “‘We're closing for the rest of the week … please take the time that you need. Here’s the support and the resources in place for you.’”
Maliszewski, who
exclusively shared his first-hand account of working during the 2022 parade with Raw Story, said he didn’t fault any individuals at the Park District for the response after the shooting because “we are all survivors of the shooting and all doing the best we can,” and people present at the parade that day “had no idea what to do after a mass shooting.”
But Maliszewski said he and his colleagues were yearning for more support as they coped with the emotional aftermath.
“Everyone in the organization, my heart is heavy for them, but as an organization and an employer of people, they have a responsibility to take care of people, and that’s where they failed,” Maliszewski said.
Support, at first
Interviews with former employees and records obtained through an Illinois Freedom of Information Act request revealed that some employees suffering from emotional injuries after the parade found support from the Park District to be insufficient in the months after shooting, particularly as communication around resources diminished.
At first the response was swift, with resources shared hours after the shooting.
The Park District of Highland Park offered employees counseling and shared community resources as soon as the afternoon of the shooting, according to Park District officials and local government records obtained by Raw Story.
The Park District put on the parade alongside the City of Highland Park, and some of its employees working during the parade ran for their lives as shots were fired. Other employees provided life-saving care and rescued survivors.
On July 5, 2022, all Park District facilities closed and programs were canceled, according to an email from Brian Romes, executive director,
sent to all Park District employees at 3:45 p.m. July 4.
The closure allowed the staff “time to prioritize their health and wellness, while also being compensated during this time without deducting from paid-time-off banks,” Liz Gogola, director of marketing and communications for the Park District, told Raw Story.
“Our hearts, thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families who were injured and lost their lives today at the tragic shooting during the July Fourth Parade,” Romes said in the email. “I want to thank every staff, commissioner, and volunteer team member today who acted swiftly, supporting, and protecting our community members and each other.
“Thank[s] for your prompt response to close facilities and care for each other. My hearts and thoughts are also with all of you, whether you were close to the incident or not — we all experienced this tragic event together,” he continued.
Employee families received a link on July 4 about “How to talk about violence with your children,” and they were informed of crisis counselors available 24/7 at the Crisis Text line — a mental health texting support service — and access to “free and confidential counseling and services” through the Employee Assistance Program, Gogola said.
“Free access to onsite trauma counselors and scheduled support services were available the following morning, days, weeks and months ahead,” she said.
Staff were not required to report to work on July 5 and were offered trauma support and counseling from the First Responders Wellness Center at one of the Park District's recreation centers starting at 10 a.m. that day.
“Your physical and emotional health and wellness are priority,” Romes wrote.
Carrie Steiner, a licensed clinical psychologist with the First Responders Wellness Center, confirmed that the center — even though they mainly work with first responders such as police officers, paramedics and veterans — provided group debriefings and group therapy for the Park District “because of obviously the intensity of it and because the Park District people were the ones in the parade that were shot at.”
Steiner said the Park District leaders she worked with were trying their best to get assistance and resources to employees.
“This is a really difficult thing because nobody expects that they're going to have this,” Steiner said. “It's always easier in hindsight to say it would be good for them to do this, that and the other.”
On July 5, the center brought three clinicians to the Park District for two debriefings at 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. and ran group sessions discussing “common reactions to trauma, what people might be experiencing, what's normal after something like that, what are some resources that they could choose.”
The Park District employees coordinating emotional support assistance for others were “also traumatized,” making it challenging to build out resources, Steiner said.
“I'm sure that they probably did fall short in some ways, but I think that the people that I did interact with, they were really trying to figure out what to do,” Steiner said. “It was a difficult time for the Park District for sure.”
The center also offered the option for people to speak one-on-one with a counselor and gave guidance to Park District supervisors such as how to support people involved and whether or not to give people the day off, Steiner said.
“The Park District tried to make operational decisions in a way that prioritized the safety and wellness of our employees while balancing the need to create safe spaces for community members and families who were seeking essential services from the park district,” Gogola told Raw Story via email. “As such, the Park District began the interactive process of working with team members to determine a safe transition to opening facilities and providing programs and services such as summer camp.”
Romes also informed the Park District team members in the July 4 email that Highland Park High School would have counselors available the next day.
Counseling for employees and community members continued on July 6, and a licensed clinical psychologist from the First Responders Wellness Center was on site again for the Park District, Gogola said.
A park district commissioner, Cal Bernstein,
emailed Romes on July 6 complimenting the park district’s response to the shooting.
“To be selfish, I am grateful that nobody from the [Park District] suffered physical wounds from the event. Unfortunately, the psychological impact from the shooting will linger. Based upon our experience, you never forget, but time helps ease the pain,” Bernstein said. “Second, I want to complement [sic] the entire [Park District] staff for their response. From the initial instinct to help other[s] to safety to the messaging to the community, the [Park District] earns an A+ in my book.”
‘My position was f--- no’
Maliszewski said he showed up at the high school looking for counseling on July 5.
He instead ended up giving interviews to the Office of the Illinois Attorney General.
“We had peer support group for like the first four hours or five hours of July 5. Then in that afternoon, I got into screaming matches with my executive director because we started having conversations about whether or not we should restart summer camp on July 6, and my position was f--- no,” Maliszewski said.
An email from Romes to the department heads on July 6 included an agenda for the day, which included discussions about compensating people for the previous two days off and setting guidances on future time off, determining resources and continuing support for team members for “a period of time,” honoring lost lives and determining “next steps for facilities, programs, services.”
A Park District leader, who requested anonymity due to organization policy, told Raw Story when deciding when to restart camp, the team worked to come up with the “most appropriate trauma-informed approach to prepare our staff to ensure their health and safety while also caring for our community members knowing that they rely on our services.”
“Our entire team talked about when to start and I know that everybody provided input and feedback as to what would be the most appropriate based on the health and safety and the wellness and the preparedness of our staff, notably, our young counselors,” the leader said.
‘Children leading children:’ restarting summer camp
Maliszewski said his role in the Park District involved supervising 1,800 campers along with 150 camp counselors — all of whom were working on the Fourth of July.
“I couldn't have traumatized high school students and college students caring after traumatized elementary kids,” Maliszewski said.
Summer camp would resume a week after the parade on Monday, July 11, according to a
July 6, 2022, email from Romes.
“Almost every Park District Employee returned to work today in some capacity,” Romes wrote. “In many ways, it was therapeutic and comforting to be with our Park District Family.
“We can help create a ‘help-seeking’ climate by reminding individuals about healthy eating, getting plenty of sleep and of course engaging in physical activity and appreciation of nature,” Romes continued. “These activities not only enhance well-being by reducing trauma-based symptoms and improving coping strategies, but also help individuals gain or regain a sense of achievement. You are all essential service providers who make a positive impact in our community.”
The email pointed to crisis support and family and employee assistance resources compiled by Chris Kopka, then-director of human resources and workforce strategy.
“It's always been ‘reach out to the city resilience center, reach out to our EAP,’” Maliszewski said. “It's the same resources that they've always had. It's not like there's been anything above and beyond.”
In a
July 6 email, Romes shared with the leadership team additional in-person community resources from North Shore School District 112.
He also
emailed Michael Lubelfeld, superintendent for the district, commending him for the “incredible” support counseling efforts, along with asking for suggestions on supporting young staff members.
“Honestly, our summer camp staff is not ready to go back to work this week,” Romes wrote. “We provided crisis counseling and debriefing yesterday and today, which I think was tremendously helpful. However, many of them still need extra support, and will need ongoing support, or at least access to it.”
McGlynn said she wished the return to camp had been “done more intentionally.”
“What I didn't feel good about was us throwing this huge responsibility of helping children process and heal on high school-aged counselors,” McGlynn said. “What was not OK for me was that we were like, ‘OK, watch my kids now, and this crazy thing happened and hopefully you can deal with it.’”
McGlynn acknowledged that the Park District had a “very large facilitated mental health professional help session” in the immediate aftermath and offered “a lot of support and opportunity for employees to get personal help,” but she thought a half-day approach to returning to summer camp — perhaps with parents attending for the first hour to talk about what happened alongside their kids — would’ve been a better approach.
“I didn't love the sort of responsibility that was put onto the shoulders of essentially children leading children,” McGlynn said.
Romes sent an
email on July 12, the day after summer camp resumed, with the subject line “HP STRONG - GRATEFUL,” thanking staff for getting the camps up and running.
“I know many parents expressed their gratitude for returning their children to experiencing what a child should, a summer of fun,” Romes wrote. “We continue to serve our community in ways I know they appreciate and need. You all make a difference in the lives of others and contribute to a STRONG Community. The services you support, and deliver are essential for a healthy community, especially in times of recovery.”
The first two weeks after the shooting
The week after the shooting department heads were
told by Romes to display an “easy resource” flier from the City of Highland Park with information about crisis counseling, reclaiming property and community vigils.
Kopka sent an
email through “My HR” on July 13 about a “comprehensive site for resources” and “FREE Silver Linings peer support groups” from Rainbows for All Children “in effort to provide ongoing support to our team members and community.”
The Park District did not provide the support groups but served as the host site twice per week, Kopka wrote.
Records obtained by Raw Story show that Maliszewski
requested on July 8 a “CONSISTENT set of rooms on a 6 week basis” for Rainbows for All Children.
The Park District arranged for therapy dogs from the K-9 Reading Buddies of the North Shore from July 18 to July 21, which could be visited by “campers, camp counselors, or any full-time staff who might benefit,”
Romes wrote on July 8.
“We're just the hometown team where this happened, and when the Park District reached out to ask if we could visit the campers, of course, we said yes,” Carole Yuster, executive director and founder of the K-9 Reading Buddies of the North Shore, told Raw Story. “A lot of our kids are grown up, but they were raised here in the Park District camps, so we put together teams to go to visit all the campers.”
Yuster described the ability to provide Park District staff and children the opportunity to pet a therapy dog as “pretty full circle.”
“Camp was even happening the following week, which was [a] real high anxiety moment to leave home and your parents to go to camp by themselves, so it was comforting for campers and parents to know that K9 Reading Buddy teams were there to welcome them.”
From July 7 through July 22, group and individual counseling continued at Highland Park High School and the First Responders Wellness Center was “onsite on a regular schedule to provide group counseling sessions for all employees,” Gogola said.
Support three weeks after the shooting and beyond
The resources offered between July 4 and July 22 continued, including onsite group counseling from the First Responders Wellness Center, and counseling at the high school then moved to the
Resource Navigation Center.
An
email from Romes on July 22 offered additional staff support perks such as breakfast and lunch provided one day, free tickets to Chicago Cubs and White Sox games, as well as discounted tickets to the Chicago Dogs, an independent baseball team that plays in Rosemont, Ill.
“Thank you all once again for being miracle workers and community builders who RISE UP,” Romes said in the email.
Emails sent by Park District executive coordinator, Roxanne Hejnowski, show additional efforts to “provide much-needed relief for the Park Districts' most fragile staff, who were present at the Parade,” which included requesting complimentary tickets to a Milwaukee Brewers baseball game and scheduling a community skate at the Chicago Blackhawks’ practice facility and community ice rink.
However, according to records obtained by Raw Story through the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, after July 22 there were months without email communication on resources available to help staff.
When asked by Raw Story if there were missing documents from the original FOIA request, Hejnowski said “we consider your request satisfied and your FOIA request closed.”
Planning for the next parade
It wasn’t until November 22, 2022, that employees heard from leadership again via email about support in the aftermath of the shooting, according to
correspondence shared with Raw Story via the Illinois Freedom of Information Act.
Employees who participated in the 2022 parade were invited to a meeting on November 29 to check in about the 2023 Fourth of July parade. “A trauma care specialist” would be available during and after, according to a
message from Romes sent November 22.
“This meeting will
not be a planning meeting for July 4th, 2023, but rather an opportunity to ‘check in’ and hear thoughts, comments, or concerns regarding plans for July 4th, 2023,” Romes said in the email. “If you are not comfortable attending this meeting, or at any time feel you need to excuse yourself from this meeting, we understand and want to provide you with support.”
Maliszewski said the November meeting and an October mandated state safety training both were “tough” and left “many upset employees,” prompting him to ask leadership for a peer support group.
Staff were particularly concerned about having an active shooter component to the training and were reassured there wouldn’t be an active shooter drill, Maliszewski said.
But Maliszewski, who said he was off work the day of the training, said he got bombarded with calls and texts from his employees informing him that the training did indeed include an active shooter component.
“I had staff members retraumatized again,” Masliszewski said.
He said he told leadership “we need to do something more as an organization” and pushed for the creation of a peer support group, which he said was implemented in December 2022 “per my recommendation.”
An
email from Mitch Carr, deputy director of facilities and operations, obtained through an Illinois FOIA request, confirmed that an active shooter drill took place on Oct. 17, 2022, and 17 such drills took place between May 23, 2023 and Dec. 7, 2023.
Gogola said a peer group was started at the direction of Romes and run by a professional crisis counselor. The group met 10 times after Nov. 29 with varying attendance, when recorded, from one to nine employees.
Inconsistent communication about workers comp
McGlynn said she filed a workers’ comp claim with the Park District to have therapy sessions that were not covered by her medical insurance paid for, which she recalled being covered through the end of December 2022. She thought it was “relatively easy” for her to access such a benefit.
“I would imagine that maybe that accessibility was perhaps partially dependent on who your direct report was and how supportive … how proactive they were in gathering the information, passing it along or seeking out the things you needed and supporting you in that,” McGlynn said.
McGlynn’s supervisor, Stephanie Sylvester, advocated for her to get the support she needed with coverage through workers’ comp, but that likely wasn’t the case for everyone, she said.
“I honestly question whether or not other leadership positions in the organization, if they were actually able to be supportive in that way because they were also, if they were there, they were also affected very deeply and needing to work through stuff on their own but not being given the opportunity because other things needed to happen,” McGlynn said.
On July 25, 2022, Sylvester, recreation supervisor for the ice arena, asked Kopka and Nick Kapetan, manager of human relations, employee development and safety, about communication around workers’ compensation, according to
emails obtained by Raw Story through a FOIA request.
Sylvester said she thought her camp counselors didn’t “even know it is an option,” but they all went to therapy because of the shooting.
“My staff who worked the parade were wondering when communication will be sent out regarding what to do with worker's comp and any therapy they received as a result of the tragedy,” Sylvester wrote.
Raw Story’s analysis of government records show that the Park District did not widely communicate via email about workers’ comp resources, even when Sylvester pushed on the topic, asking, “Is any communication going out to impacted staff to know that this is an option?”
Kopka replied that she contacted an employee about “how to get her bills paid,” but as for others, she said, if they have specific questions, “we are happy to answer any questions.”
Maliszewski, who is actively being treated for anxiety, depression, insomnia and post-traumatic stress disorder following the shooting, said his firing was “bullsh—” and he has a workers’ comp claim with the Park District that is still active.
Chris Maliszewski on stage at a gala for the Parks Foundation of Highland Park. (Photo provided by Maliszewski)
After suffering a panic attack on the job in April 2023, Maliszewski did not file a workers’ comp claim until after he used 57 personal-time-off built up since he started working at the Park District nearly 10 years before. It was Maliszewski’s therapist who told him his leave should be a workers’ comp issue.
“I went to my employer the next day, and I said, ‘hey, I gotta ask you why wasn't I guided [on the] workers’ comp process because now, it's really confusing of how this is being handled,” Maliszewski said. “And right then and there, I’m telling you, the switch flipped, and instead of being supportive and being there for my care and what I needed, I now became a liability and a risk.”
Maliszewski said he contacted his U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL) and Illinois stateRep. Bob Morgan (D-IL) to discuss support available and workers’ comp issues in the aftermath of a mass shooting. He said he has a meeting with Illinois state Rep. Nabeela Syed (D-IL) the week of January 22, 2024.
“I asked him why, at the federal level, do we allow states to weaponize workers’ comp systems. This is what's happening, and, of course, he said, ‘well, that's a state issue,’” Maliszewski said of a call he had with Schneider in December.
Morgan’s state congressional office declined to comment, and Schneider’s office acknowledged receipt of Raw Story’s inquiry but did not provide comment.
“Given that worker’s compensation is a state government issue, Congressman Schneider does not have jurisdiction, so he is unfortunately unable to intervene on this issue,”
wrote Quinn Fisher, a scheduler for Schneider, in an email to Maliszewski on December 20, 2023, promising to have Schneider speak with Morgan to “make sure your concerns are heard.”
The Park District would not answer questions about “individuals’ health or workers compensation claims,” Gogola said.
“While the Park District will not share comment on confidential personnel matters, specific employee health or medical information (including WC), or pending claims … it complied with workers’ compensation laws, and multiple employees sought and received workers’ compensation benefits,” Gogola said via email to Raw Story.
Moving forward
The Park District went forward with conducting a 2023 Fourth of July parade.
The
day before July 4, 2023, the Park District offered an on-site counselor from its Employee Assistance Program and referred employees to resources provided by the City of Highland Park.
In response to a Raw Story Illinois FOIA request, the City of Highland Park said it did not have responsive documents related to resources offered to Park District employees in the aftermath of the shooting.
A year-and-a-half after the 2022 parade, the Park District said it continues to support its employees with free counseling services through its Employee Assistance Program and “an interactive process regarding their health and wellness, and to provide reasonable accommodation.”
The Park District “broadly and consistently” told employees to reach out to Romes or the HR director if they had concerns in the aftermath of the shooting,” Gogola said.
Despite being the only Park District employee to directly provide life-saving medical treatment to victims, McGlynn said she is in a “pretty good place.”
She attributes this to “years of understanding mental health” and established relationships with professionals.
“I want to be very clear that people's reactions in these situations are very biological, and I am not shaming anybody,” McGlynn. “It is not a choice. That is very much not a choice.”
Even prior to losing his job, Maliszewski said it was “stressful” getting $870 bills from the Park District for health insurance premiums while he was on unpaid leave and described his mental health as “f—-d.” He is worried about now having preexisting conditions for his health insurance and has been without his full-time income for more than six months.
When reached by Raw Story on January 19, Maliszewski said he’s “not doing great” and is “anxious.”
“I didn’t ever wanna be here. I didn’t want to be doing this. I’m hoping I’m doing the right thing in the best interest for other survivors,” Maliszewski said of sharing his story publicly.
When asked about how he is doing personally, having survived the mass shooting as well, Romes, the park district’s executive director, responded with a statement to Raw Story.
“Personally, I am doing well. The experience was traumatic, and my heart continues to mourn for the lives lost, injured, and negatively impacted by this senseless act,” Romes said. “My family, friends and faith community have been pillars of hope, love, and strength. The year following the shooting has been filled with many challenges.”
Romes expressed gratitude for his park district colleagues, government leaders, community groups, health professionals and residents who provided “unwavering care and support for one another.”
“I am grateful to work for a Park District that supports employee health and wellness, and I am proud to work alongside caring professionals who serve the welcoming and extraordinary community of Highland Park,” Romes said.
His healing process has included group and individual therapy and participation in the Highland Park Family Assistance Center, which he said taught him to be “more grateful for what we have, more compassionate and caring towards others, and to recognize the significant impact communities have when they rise up to support one another.”
“As a parks and recreation professional, I have a renewed appreciation for the responsibility our industry has in working with other community service providers to create safe spaces for programs and services that strengthen social, emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing,” Romes said.
Agi Semrad, president and founder of The Balance Project and 15-year resident of Highland Park, said her organization was able to offer grants for therapy sessions for those affected by the shooting in the immediate aftermath — but metal health challenges can persist even today.
“Anyone that was there in-person was traumatized. Trauma can show up in so many different ways, depending on your lived experience,” said Semrad, a mental health advocate and therapist. “People have been deeply impacted, and it looks very different for everyone, and it shows up at different times for everyone, but it could become debilitating for sure.”
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A list of floats scheduled to drive the Highland Park Independence Day parade route. (Courtesy Chris Maliszewski)
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