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Parents and board members raise concerns after Commissioner Chan interacts with Playground Camp children
Summary
Public commenters told the Oak Brook Park District Board that Commissioner Chan visited a playground camp, asked children for their names and where they live, and disrupted counselors; the board urged that operational concerns be routed to staff and reminded commissioners not to engage directly with minors in programs.
At the June 16, 2025 meeting of the Oak Brook Park District Board of Commissioners, several public commenters said Commissioner Chan visited a Park District Playground Camp and interacted directly with children, prompting concerns about appropriateness and supervision.
Amy Marr told the board that her child reported Commissioner Chan's visit and said the commissioner asked children for their names and where they lived. "I asked if Commissioner Chan communicated her visit in advance to Park District staff," Marr said in public comment and described the interaction as inappropriate. Nella Sansguin, an Oak Brook resident, urged that camp lunches be held indoors daily because of high temperatures and repeated her primary concern about Commissioner Chan's interactions with counselors and children.
Commissioner Ivkovic Kelley said several parents had approached her about the incident and that parents were upset that Commissioner Chan had asked their children for identifying information. The board did not take formal disciplinary action during the meeting and no policy change was adopted.
Executive Director Dr. Laure Kosey asked that commissioners route operational concerns to staff rather than raising issues in public or engaging directly with minors. Dr. Kosey, referencing the restroom incident discussed earlier in the meeting, said a child seen leaving the restroom was a junior counselor permitted to use the restroom independently and requested that Commissioner Chan "share her concerns with her instead of creating alarm among parents." President Knitter reiterated that commissioners' duties are policy and oversight and that they are not Park District employees responsible for program operations.
The exchange closed with board members urging clearer communication channels: parents and commissioners should bring operational issues to staff so they can be addressed without creating confusion among participants and families. The board will next convene on July 21, 2025.
