posthumous portrait painting student depicting recently deceased popular african american mayor chicago wearing bra string belt brief showing private student exhibition angry african american including arrived officers confiscated painting triggering amendment race relations crisis civil lawsuit free speech advocates condemned seizure painting maintained painting insult washington taken students showed support free speech holding rallies school students criticized nelson poor timing showing racially image point painting confiscated returned inch canvas nelson filed later won federal lawsuit city claiming painting subsequent damaging violated amendment rights settled city compensation damaged painting upheld lower court decision background subject portrait elected death late washington won chicago democratic mayoral primary election elected mayor prevailing racially general election year term characterized council wars period political conflict white majority city_council seven washington backed prevailed april special municipal election progress washington agenda washington died suddenly heart attack office death followed period mourning particularly african american community creation painting shortly washington death nelson white painted length frontal portrait grim faced clad white bra string belt painting approximately feet tall feet wide portrait washington holding pencil right hand aide initially washington desk attempt pick pencil fallen floor title piece believed derived organization overweight gay men interview chicago_sun-times nelson stated painted course night standing underwear said painted response city populace revered washington shortly death nelson stated chicago time like icon like deity particular nelson painted portrait seeing prints poster depicted smiling washington blue adorned jesus christ looking chicago skyline nelson later testified based elements painting rumor doctors discovered female underwear beneath suit washington wearing time death weeks controversy erupted interview nelson explained portrait referenced existing photograph washington holding cigarette prop event caricature nelson drawn portrait mother mother mother day nelson drawn caricature father model depicted boxes cream wheat nelson explained kind runs artwork april day edition parody produced nelson illustrated president infant arms bare madonna display initial display displayed private exhibition school main interior painting set nelson displaying judged day student fellowship exhibition held showcase upcoming graduates works self portrait titled sensitive love humanity depicting nelson holding little people multiple soon exhibit opened painting drew negative attention post security guard painting shortly school began receive angry phone calls painting soon exhibit opened word controversy reached session 2nd ward immediately resolution cut city contribution apologized displaying painting resolution read artist obviously exhibits type mental capacities resolution written asked remove painting immediately passing items group left deliver resolutions nelson returned painting hour displayed forgotten hammer nails hang painting left leaning wall hour shortly returned city police officers local reporters arrived scene leading dramatic confrontation students nelson remained nearby 20th 24th arrive city_council session according federal lawsuit henry showed gun jones removed hung painting wall placed floor facing wall left student painting 17th 3rd rush arrived later took painting attempted remove school stopped school official took painting office school president relation painting wrapped brown paper threatened burn painting president jones office lieutenant present advised instead unnamed called superintendent martin jones office ordered painting police custody telling jones painting amounted riot direct order citing powers lieutenant scene hung martin sergeant accompanied rush waiting police car wrapped painting hand parts incident later broadcast television incident marked volatile shouting match students met condemnation free speech advocates escorted painting police vehicle mass students outside naming seventeen bomb threats recorded school controversy erupted responses african american community shortly incident black told reporters believed painting work jewish artist nelson replied chicago_tribune story jewish remark racial tensions elevated week earlier firing mayoral aide african american mayor successor accused jews engaging international conspiracy world control firing caused rift segments black community leading believe involved conspiracy new_york_times article published reiterated stance removal painting saying gone jail painting calling insult great man blacks appeared local public television station news program chicago tonight reinforced nelson responsibility constituency right segment reaffirmed believed law law common sense law morality law amendment operation push organization pursues social justice civil rights threatened impose sanctions acted prevent offensive portraits shown students contributing artists future separately called racial regards faculty student enrollment school recent african american students alleged underlying attitude racism school black students distributed listing theft advice given foreign students blacks contrast white graduate noted school officials looked students paintings knowing race student school noted undergraduate students minorities higher percentage comparable private professional art schools february rally raise money defendants mounting legal bills nation islam leader supported right seize painting calling act referred washington father figure black people described painting subsequent lawsuit total feelings community free speech advocates representatives picked painting returned nelson representative described incident stuff noting action great civil time percent voting record congress state legislature issues civil liberties civil rights washington supported civil rights sculptor created satirical statue washington comparison mayor ordered statue handling chicago covered blanket decision later overturned federal court students protested columbus drive day holding signs asked drivers free speech student leaders began consult attorneys file lawsuit groups students planned canceled students learned groups cause confrontation students felt school victim racial politics incident censor chicago tonight law professor cited federal statutes violated portrait reluctance defend amendment comparing seizure arkansas governor refusal amendment allow minorities according rationale time preserve delicate civil rights situation called action ironic terribly sad reactions students painting ranged political caricature commercial success student noted nelson known nationally artist dream student noted responsible guy responsible meeting students incident president assured students stood amendment rights painting jones said painting poor taste displayed members met day incident agreed display chairman issued formal apology displaying painting agreed consider demands school hire black administrators accept black students field published apology city daily metropolitan newspapers apology issued strongly criticized field refusal aggressively stand students amendment rights reactions members included leaders mainline protestant roman catholic jewish organizations city issued statement expressed moral dismay painting added display painting showed lack sensitivity expected responsible showing painting critical reception local art reviewer mentioned thing felt having staff years nelson better grasp figure painting newspaper interview nelson responded criticism thing kind angry don think painting poorly executed wasn favorite painting book arresting images art actions suggested painting represented symbolic washington reflecting traditional reactions african americans positions power nelson gave interviews leaving chicago suburbs avoid press advice friends nelson stayed away graduation ceremony turned offer painting calling inflated price turned separate opportunity appear syndicated talk saying watched genuinely offer interview nelson views expressed legal director nelson said press returning painting fulfilled purpose drawing attention work nelson june filed federal lawsuit behalf nelson seen television handling painting claimed removal painting violated nelson amendment right freedom expression fourth amendment right protection fourteenth amendment right deprived property hearing sought compensate nelson damage painting punish police actions 9th called suit face black community rush questioned motive suit supporters 17th political rival mayor rush specifically called suit openly questioning filed suit enhance fundraising activities political reasons refused february pay mounting legal costs argued performing official duties protecting security city turmoil created exhibit removed painting city contended taken action individuals nelson refused settlement time august district judge dismissed lawsuit ruled superintendent martin trial violated nelson civil rights supported recommendations issue magistrate judge march lawyer recommended immediate appeal filed federal court court appeal decided february judges affirmed earlier decision writing court rejected claims official immunity said city officials right enter private property offensive paintings walls rejected argument removing paintings walls official duty rejected argument defendants removing painting save chicago racial riots continued showing painting started destroyed found threatened burn painting spot mob addition court found nelson intended provoke riot amendment protect speech court district judge allowing year half filing disposition motions summary judgment noted opinion governing principles clear facts explored defendants aware efforts mount ditch holds barred defense simply increase liability attorney fees affirmed district court decision settlement aftermath september city reached settlement agreed drop claims city return city chicago agreed pay nelson damage painting issue police procedures materials protected amendment seized elected officials agreed appeal district court ruling left unresolved hundreds thousands dollars legal fees owed lawyers defending rush september fees owed earlier year voted paying legal fees vote split racial lines stated relatively small settlement showed nelson proceeded lawsuit matter principle called settlement great victory saying didn admit charges dropped paying damages preserve rights pursue efforts legal fees paid time lawsuit settled nelson issue statements chicago_tribune reported employed advertising artist undisclosed firm continued paint free time painting sold exhibited repaired incident
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