Chicago 9th Ward Alderman Robert Shaw said Tuesday that he will introduce a resolution at tonight’s Chicago City Council meeting for the council to request a legislative investigation of “racist actions” at NIU.

Shaw said he would like the council to request that members of the Illinois General Assembly House of Representatives conduct an investigation of “several racial incidents” at NIU, including the controversial firing of CHANCE counselor Martha Palmer.

The resolution also would include an investigation of allegations of a DeKalb-area police department employee making racial slurs while on-duty and the Jan. 1988 Holmes Student Center Bookstore incident where four black students were accused of shoplifting.

Ald. Shaw said his brother, Rep. William Shaw of the 34th District, also plans to make a request for the investigation during legislative sessions this week in Springfield if NIU President John LaTourette and Board of Regents Chancellor Roderick Groves do not agree to rehire Palmer.

LaTourette, Groves and Tendaji Ganges, one of Palmer’s supervisors and NIU director of Educational Services and Programs, met with Rep. Shaw and four other state legislators on Tuesday to discuss the Palmer issue.

LaTourette said that at the meeting Rep. Shaw expressed his concerns about educational opportunities in Illinois for minority students and that LaTourette then briefed Shaw about minority programs at NIU.

Shaw was informed at the meeting that Palmer’s appeals process is now underway, and LaTourette said he stressed the importance of preserving the proper university policies for Palmer’s case.

Although the Shaws have threatened to cut state funding to NIU if Palmer is not rehired, LaTourette said that from his point of view, “the most important, immediate need is to complete the (proper NIU) appeals process.”

Rep. Shaw could not be reached for comment about the meeting with LaTourette or about the request for the legislative investigation at NIU.