Rockford charter school files lawsuit against Winnebago Co.

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Kikifer’s Entrepreneurial Academy (KEA) filed a federal lawsuit against Winnebago County for systemic discrimination on March 7th.

KEA said in a press release that the Winnebago County Community Mental Health Board, Winnebago County, Region 1 Planning Council and the law firm Zukowski, Rogers, Flood, and McArdle systemically excluded black-owned organizations from accessing public mental health funding.

Here are the legal claims against the county and law firm, according to a KEA’s press release:

• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act – Prohibits racial discrimination in federally funded programs. WCCMHB knowingly excluded Black-Owned Organizations from funding.
• Fourteenth Amendment Equal Protection Clause – Requires fair and equitable treatment in public funding. WCCMHB and Winnebago County failed to ensure racial equity in allocations.
• Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Violations – WCCMHB, Winnebago County, R1PC, and ZRFM delayed, redacted, and obstructed access to public records exposing their funding decisions.
• Conflict of Interest & Government Misconduct – County officials and board members failed to disclose financial ties to White-Owned Organizations receiving funding while refusing to engage with Black-Owned Organizations.

“This isn’t just about KIKIFER’S Entrepreneurial Academy (KEA). This is about every Black Owned Organization that has been shut out of public mental health funding while millions were funneled to White-Owned Organizations,” said Keishonda Williamson, Executive Director of KEA in a released statement. “They thought we wouldn’t notice. They thought we wouldn’t fight back. Now they have to answer in federal court.”

KEA will be holding a press conference to address the lawsuit at the academy located at 103 West State Street on March 12th at 2:30 p.m.