A 65-year-old Northfield woman is charged with a hate crime after allegedly telling a man to leave a Winnetka pier in August because he is Black.
The exchange — captured on video in a now-viral tweet — shows Irene Donoshaytis questioning if the man is allowed on the beach since he doesn’t have a pass, according to Winnetka Police Deputy Chief Brian O’Connell.
When told by park district staff that a pass isn’t necessary, she continues to argue with him and asks the staffer for their manager, video of the Aug. 18 incident shows.
charged a racist a Karen today with battery after she racially profiled us. note, this is after she aggressively told us to leave because we weren’t allowed on the public peer without “parking passes”. This happened in Winnetka, IL. #BLM pic.twitter.com/L9XXBjWkwX
— Oh (@oh_campbell1) August 18, 2020
After more arguing, the man holding the camera asks, “Is it because I’m Black?” and the woman replies, “Yes” and nods her head, the video shows.
After another verbal exchange, she tries to knock the phone out of the man’s hand, O’Connell said. Donoshaytis was arrested that night and charged with misdemeanor battery, he said.
The charge was upgraded Wednesday, he said.
“Upon further investigation, and cooperation with the (Cook County) state’s attorney’s office, the charge was upgraded to a hate crime,” O’Connell said.
Donoshaytis turned herself into police later Wednesday and went to the Skokie courthouse, where a judge ordered her held on $10,000 bail.
She is due back in court Sept. 18, according to county records.
