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Wednesday, May 21, 2025
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Former student pleads guilty Scott Thomas sentenced for aggravated battery By ISAIAH STEINBERG
daily senior staffer @isaiahstei27
Illustration by Cayla Labgold-Carroll
Both candidates launched campaigns just days after State Sen. Laura Fine announced her congressional campaign.
Two state Senate hopefuls emerge North Shore progressives vie for State Sen. Laura Fine’s current seat By CASEY HE and MARISA GUERRA ECHEVARRIA
daily senior staffers @caseeey_he/@marisa_g_ech
Following a trend of
generational transition within the Democratic Party, Illinois has seen shake-ups across all levels of politics. As longtime political fixtures retire from the national scene, state and local politicians have begun to set
their sights on new positions, spurring potential turnover between Capitol Hill, Springfield and city halls across the state. After longtime U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky’s (D-Evanston)
retirement, the ballot for state Senate has already begun to fill. Two North Shore Democrats announced their candidacy to replace current State Sen. Laura Fine (D-Glenview), who
» See STATE SENATE, page 11
Scott Thomas, who attended Northwestern from 2018 to 2019 before being expelled, pleaded guilty to aggravated battery of a fellow NU student and has been sentenced in state court to two years’ standard probation and 80 hours of community service. Thomas, a Weinberg freshman at the time of the incident, was arrested in March 2019 and expelled from NU after allegedly sexually assaulting a fellow student outside the Jacobs Center. He initially pleaded not guilty to 64 charges, including aggravated criminal sexual assault, aggravated kidnapping and aggravated criminal sexual abuse. Now 26 years old, Thomas entered a guilty plea to aggravated battery April 9. The case has dragged on since 2019. In the six years since the start of the case, Thomas returned to his New Jersey residence and moved to dismiss the indictment in 2022. During that time, the prosecutors and defense filed dozens of motions
of continuance, repeatedly pushing the case back, until Thomas eventually declined a jury trial in April. In a 2022 motion to dismiss the indictment, Thomas’s attorneys argued that a police officer misled the grand jury in his testimony. Specifically, the defense alleged that some of the relations were consensual, that Thomas and the victim were similarly inebriated and that aspects of the officer’s testimony were not supported by video evidence. A judge rejected the motion to dismiss in 2023. As a result of the April aggravated battery plea, prosecutors dropped the remaining charges. Thomas will be required to continue therapy and avoid contact with the victim. He will also be required to complete another sex offender evaluation in six months, according to a spokesperson for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. Thomas will not be required to register as a sex offender. Thomas’s attorneys declined The Daily’s request for comment. The State’s Attorney’s Office spokesperson confirmed details of the case to The Daily but did not respond to a request for comment on behalf of the prosecution. i.steinberg@dailynorthwestern.com
Biss announces The Daily Explains: NU’s spending congressional run The Daily breaks down NU’s spending, from salaries to financial aid Biss to take on Trump agenda, ‘corporate power’ By SOPHIE BAKER
the daily northwestern
Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss announced his campaign for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District in a Thursday morning news release. The seat is currently held by U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Evanston), who announced her retirement this month. The mayor has emphasized countering the Trump administration’s agenda — most recently at the State of the City address Wednesday — and plans to continue that work in a potential congressional term. “I am running for Congress to stand up to Donald Trump and his MAGA cronies. I’ve never backed down from a fight, and I’ve won some big oneson LGBTQ+ rights, campaign finance reform, protecting abortion access, defending the environment, and more,” Biss said in the news release. “In Congress, I’ll
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take on billionaires and corporate power, lower costs for working families, and fight tooth and nail to protect our civil rights.” State Sen. Laura Fine (D-Glenview) and content creator Kat Abughazaleh have already announced their candidacies for the seat. Multiple Chicago Democrats, and Rocio Cleveland, an Island Lake Republican, have also filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission and launched campaign websites. Biss previously served in the Illinois House and state Senate. He ran an unsuccessful gubernatorial bid in 2018. In April, he won reelection for mayor, beating out challenger Jeff Boarini with 63% of the vote. Throughout his tenure, Biss has championed many progressive initiatives, including updates to the city’s Inclusionary Housing Ordinance and the passage of a Healthy Buildings Ordinance, which aims to curb carbon emissions. He also touted a strengthened Welcoming City Ordinance, codifying greater protections for Evanston immigrants regardless
» See BISS, page 11
By MADELINE LESCOTT
the daily northwestern
As a world-class university, Northwestern manages a substantial amount of funding across its undergraduate and graduate schools. From faculty salaries and research grants, to campus maintenance and student services, each dollar plays a role in shaping the university experience. NU manages a total of $15.6 billion in assets, with about $3.3 billion spent in operating expenses in fiscal year 2024, according to the annual budget. These assets represent a $669.9 million increase from fiscal year 2023 to 2024, as a result of philanthropy and alumni contributions — which were the second largest in University history this past year — as well as investment profits. NU’s investments grew by 4.5%, totaling roughly $14.7 billion in 2024. The University’s investments are overseen by the Investments Committee of the Board of Trustees. NU, which claims to meet
Illustration by Clare Kirwan
NU manages a total of $15.6 billion in assets, with about $3.3 billion spent in the 2024 fiscal year annual budget.
100% of demonstrated need, distributed $618.3 million in scholarships and fellowships in 2024, with about $250 million allocated to undergraduate student tuition and expenses. Almost $2 billion is kept in the endowment and earmarked for financial aid.
Employee salaries and benefits have been a point of tension between the financial office and faculty. At a Faculty Senate meeting in January, employees raised concerns over adjusting salaries to match rising living costs and inflation.
One aspect of pay is the faculty merit pool, which consists of apportionments of the operating budget that each school’s dean can dole out at their discretion. Many faculty are asking for a blanket
» See SPENDING, page 11
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