Food, Gifts, and Contracts

CPS food director allegedly accepted thousands in gifts from top vendors -- - chicagotribune.com: "The report submitted to CPS officials late last week by district Inspector General James Sullivan accuses Esaian and two members of her staff of accepting at least $86,000 in gifts from high-ranking executives at Chartwells-Thompson Hospitality and Preferred Meal Systems, companies that have combined food contracts with CPS in excess of $75 million.

According to the report, Esaian told the inspector general that she had friendly relationships with the food executives and that the gifts didn't influence her decisions at CPS. But some observers now raise questions about where her allegiances stood.

Around the time Esaian took over as the head of the food services at CPS in 2007, Chartwells launched a pilot program to provide free breakfasts to students at a city elementary school."

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