Both Carlos Acosta and his DCFS Supervisor Andrew Polovin appealed their dismissals of December 2019.
Being union members, they had that right.
Four and a third years after the Department of Children and Family Services decided their handling of the Crystal Lake case in which 5-year old AJ Freund was murdered by his parents was inadequate resulting in dismissal, an arbitrator in the Pritzker Administration finally made a ruling in Polovin appeal.
He ruled that Polovin would
- be allowed to “resign” as of April 4, 2024
- be allowed to apply for another state job (except in DCFS) in which he would not have “direct contact with patients or clients under State care”
- be paid back pay from December 6, 2019, through April 4, 2024, “less interim earnings and unemployment compensation received.”
- receive pension credit for the same time period
Almost $525,000 in back pay was at stake for the $121,000
But the offsetting unemployment compensation and interim earnings took the amount owed down to $61,548.99.
Subtracting taxes, pension contributions and the cost of health insurance reduced Polovin’s cash payout to $31,548.52.
The appeal of Acosta has not been decided.
