W E D N E S D A Y
October 29, 2025 Vol. 46, No. 18
1980 - 2025
$2.00 @wednesdayjournalinc
J URNAL WJ45
@wednesdayjournal
@oakpark
of Oak Park and River Forest
OPRF equity director resigns after errant post proves revealing
Applewhite now HR lead at south suburban school district
Page 5
Oak Park leaders discuss strategic response to ICE The village board plans to vote on an ‘ICE free zone’ ordinance next month
By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter
LaTonya Applewhite, the director of equity and student success at Oak Park and River Forest High School, has resigned her job a little more than five weeks after she was placed on paid leave following her broadcasting a somewhat revealing Facebook Live video from her office. In the video she was demonstrating a waist shaping device. Applewhite was placed on a paid leave beginning Sept. 5 that was supposed to last until Dec. 31. But on Oct. 16 Applewhite was hired as the Director of Human Resources at Dolton School District 149, an eight school, 2,227 student elementary school district in the south suburbs. That hiring prompted her resignation from OPRF although she had not been expected to return to OPRF. Applewhite’s resignation from OPRF was effective on Oct. 14 and was approved by the OPRF school board as part of the personnel report that was included on the consent agenda at the school board’s Oct. 23 meeting. The District 149 school board
ICE detention near Whittier
By BRENDAN HEFFERNAN Staff Reporter
posting a short Facebook Live video in which she filmed herself putting on and talking about a corset-like waist shaping device in her school office sometime in August. Wednesday Journal obtained the one minute 47-second-long Facebook Live video after filing a public records request with OPRF.
Oak Park leaders discussed a strategy for countering the federal immigration enforcement efforts focused on the West Cook suburbs and Chicagoland as a whole. Oak Park leaders talked at their Oct. 21 meeting about a plan to pass an “ICE free zone” ordinance banning agents from operating on village-owned property, similar to legislation passed recently in Chicago, Evanston, Cook County, Lake County and other communities in the region this month. Such an ordinance would include collaborations with other governmental agencies like the Oak Park Library, school districts, park district and Oak Park Township to adopt uniform policies, trustees said. “We have a very caring community that is capable of mobilizing and being leaders in very challenging times,” Village President Vicki Scaman said. “If it’s community keeping community safe, we want to make sure
See APPLEWHITE on page 17
See ICE on page 8
LATONYA APPLEWHITE
FILE PHOTO
voted to hire Applewhite on Oct. 16. Applewhite told Wednesday Journal in an email that her annual salary at District 149 is $140,000. Her salary at OPRF was $157,480. Applewhite declined to answer specific questions about her departure from OPRF. “I have moved on and have no further comment,” Applewhite wrote in an email. Applewhite was placed on leave after
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