Chicago Public Schools Chief Accidentally Sends Racy Website In Email To Parents

By Samantha Abernethy in News on Jan 24, 2013 11:00PM



The website parents were sent to instead of a similar URL for information on Illinois testing standards.

An anonymous tipster sent us an email parents received from Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett that contained an embarrassing URL mistake sending parents to a somewhat racy website.

Surely she meant to send parents to "The New Illinois Learning Standards Incorporating the Common Core" at www.isbe.net/common_core/default.htm. But somehow an "l" snuck in there, sending parents to http://isbel.net/common_core/default.htm, an error page on a "private invite-only community" for women to "enrich the modern woman's sex life." The final sentence of the email titled, "Important Message From CEO Byrd-Bennett On Changes To ISAT" reads:

For more information on the Common Core, please visit http://isbel.net/common_core/default.htm or http://commoncoreil.org/.

No judgment here, Ms. Byrd-Bennett. We've all been there. The URL is very similar, meaning readers shouldn't jump to the conclusion she was previously cruising the site she sent out. But if she was cruising the site, still no judgment here, Ms. Byrd-Bennett. Kudos.

As if the website itself weren't embarrassing enough, the error page reads, "Oops, someone has been naughty. But we'll take care of her, we promise. Click here to go back."