Breaking news: Leonard Woodson, the city’s popular Special Olympics coordinator for 35 years, has accepted the city’s offer to retire from the job, maintaining false accusations from supervisors had undermined his relationships with the disabled community.
Here is the statement released a short time ago by his attorney, Keith Ward.
To Whom It May Concern,
It has been a great honor to have worked for the City of Evanston providing services and recreational opportunities to individuals with disabilities, and their families, for the past 35 years.
While I would like to think that I could continue doing this work forever, recent events make this no longer possible, including false accusations from my supervisors and other efforts by them to undermine my relationships with the disabled community. Their recent actions have caused significant damage to the programs I have built and expanded during my tenure, at the expense and to the detriment of the community, and particularly those with special needs and physical challenges that require specialized recreational opportunities.
As such, I am submitting my notice of retirement from the City of Evanston effective August 5, 2025.
I am truly grateful for the experiences and knowledge I have gained and take great pride in what we have accomplished through Special Olympics and other programs with which I have been involved. On a personal note, I would like to especially thank all of the Special Olympics staff, the athletes and their families for sharing their lives and enriching my own life in the process.
Leonard Woodson