Former Naperville North High School student Amara Harris, who successfully fought Naperville in court over a charge that she stole a fellow classmate’s AirPods, has filed suit seeking $20 million in compensatory damages from the city.
Harris’ mother, Marla Baker, said Wednesday she’s looking for the city “to take accountability for the harm they have caused my daughter and our family.” In 2019, when Harris was a 17-year-old junior, a Naperville police officer assigned to Naperville North issued her a ticket for allegedly stealing another student’s AirPods, a violation of municipal law.
In a written statement, city attorney Mike DiSanto said the city is aware of Harris’ lawsuit and “believe the allegations are without merit.” Yeary chastised city officials Wednesday for not doing anything “to address the harm that’s been done to Amara Harris.”Harris’ lawsuit lists several counts of alleged wrongdoing: abuse of process, malicious prosecution, intentional infliction of emotional distress and discrimination under the Illinois Civil Rights Act.
It also identified a pattern of racial disparities in ticketing, including at Naperville North High School, in which Black students were almost five times more likely than their white peers to receive tickets.