"Sixteen hours before he was found dead, city School Board President Michael W. Scott got a Sunday-morning call from a top aide to Mayor Daley to schedule a meeting about questionable expenses that Scott and his staff had charged to board credit cards.
Scott had a 13-minute conversation with mayoral press secretary Jacquelyn Heard starting at 11:01 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, according to police reports obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times about Scott's suicide."
Police found Scott's body in the Chicago River near the Merchandise Mart Apparel Center at 3:20 a.m. Monday, Nov. 16 -- the same day Scott had planned to meet with Heard about the credit-card issue, including an internal probe into the matter by the Chicago Public Schools' inspector general.
Besides Scott's conversation with Heard, the police reports reveal that Scott's financial situation had changed in the days that led up to Scott shooting himself in the head and falling into the river. The documents also provide new details about Scott's mood, though police blacked out dozens of names and other key details, citing exemptions in the state's Freedom of Information Act.
Heard said she called Scott on Nov. 15 on her way to church. She had tried to call him two days earlier but couldn't reach him. When she connected with him that Sunday, his demeanor was "absolutely normal" and "upbeat," she said.
"We knew there was a pending [inspector general] report," said Heard, who added it isn't unusual for her to reach out to city officials on weekends. "I needed to have some sense of what it involved, and he said, 'No problem.' "
Scott was to meet with the inspector general's office that coming Friday, Nov. 20. The office's probe included a review of artwork purchased by the school system under Scott's watch and items Scott himself had charged, including expenses related to his separate role as a Chicago 2016 Olympic Committee member.
Scott had a 13-minute conversation with mayoral press secretary Jacquelyn Heard starting at 11:01 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, according to police reports obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times about Scott's suicide."
Police found Scott's body in the Chicago River near the Merchandise Mart Apparel Center at 3:20 a.m. Monday, Nov. 16 -- the same day Scott had planned to meet with Heard about the credit-card issue, including an internal probe into the matter by the Chicago Public Schools' inspector general.
Besides Scott's conversation with Heard, the police reports reveal that Scott's financial situation had changed in the days that led up to Scott shooting himself in the head and falling into the river. The documents also provide new details about Scott's mood, though police blacked out dozens of names and other key details, citing exemptions in the state's Freedom of Information Act.
Heard said she called Scott on Nov. 15 on her way to church. She had tried to call him two days earlier but couldn't reach him. When she connected with him that Sunday, his demeanor was "absolutely normal" and "upbeat," she said.
"We knew there was a pending [inspector general] report," said Heard, who added it isn't unusual for her to reach out to city officials on weekends. "I needed to have some sense of what it involved, and he said, 'No problem.' "
Scott was to meet with the inspector general's office that coming Friday, Nov. 20. The office's probe included a review of artwork purchased by the school system under Scott's watch and items Scott himself had charged, including expenses related to his separate role as a Chicago 2016 Olympic Committee member.