Illinois professor who spit on Black woman, used racial slur facing hate crime charges
An Illinois professor who allegedly spit on a Black woman and said racial slurs toward her and her young daughter outside a Chicago suburban grocery store was charged with a hate crime, court records said.
Alberto Friedmann has also been charged with felony aggravated assault with a motor vehicle, according to Cook County records.
On Sept. 7, Friedmann, who teaches neurokinesiology at the National University of Health Sciences in Lombard, Ill., allegedly hurled racial slurs at the woman and her daughter while they were waiting for the woman’s mother to finish shopping.
The woman said that she heard someone “honking and yelling” and eventually saw Friedmann in his Jaguar behind her, yelling at her to “move your f---ing car.”
As the alleged victim attempted to exit her vehicle, Friedmann pushed her door shut and proceeded to then spit in her face. In her testimony, the victim said that he spat on her “because he doesn’t like Black people.”
The woman’s mother witnessed the encounter, court documents said. As Friedmann was attempting to leave, the woman exited her car to get his license plate and she threw a water bottle at his car to stop him from going anywhere before police arrived.
Friedmann then allegedly put his foot on the gas and accelerated his car toward the woman “nearly striking her with his car.” Prosecutors said that he “came within inches” of hitting the woman. Friedmann thankfully only hit the woman’s car in the bumper and driver’s side door.
Police arrived soon after the crash and took Friedmann into custody.
Friedmann, who admitted to spitting on the woman and hitting her car, was released on $2,500 bail. His attorney, John McNamara argued in his hearing that his client, who is a minority and “child of immigrants” did not use any racial slurs.
The National University of Health Sciences said in a statement to NBC that “We take allegations of misconduct seriously, and therefore have suspended Alberto Friedmann pending the results of a university investigation.”
