Former Bear arrested, alleges racism in Vernon Hills

Vernon Hills police announced former Chicago Bears tight end Desmond Clark and his wife, Maria Clark, surrendered to police Friday on warrants related to an incident at Vernon Hills High School on Aug. 29.

The warrant for Desmond Clark was for disorderly conduct, police said, while the warrant for Maria Clark was for disorderly conduct and assault.

Both were released with an Oct. 2 court date in Waukegan.

Clark's attorney, Frank Avila, has claimed that the couple are being unfairly prosecuted after complaining about racial taunts aimed at their 17-year-old son, who is a student at Vernon Hills High School.

"He's been there for four years now. Every year he's encountered a racial incident," Avila told Fox 32 News,

According to the news report, Clark vented his frustration recently at a "lip-sync" event at the high school. School officials told Clark they felt threatened by his comments and sought a police investigation, the report said.

"He spoke. He didn't grab the microphone from anybody. He didn't push anybody. There was no physical violence, of course. But he spoke because he was so frustrated with the racism and the maltreatment by some people in the school," Avila told the TV station. "After that incident the school told him, and the lawyer for the school told me, that he was not welcome on campus, that people were afraid of him.

"And here's the problem I have with that … he has no criminal history. None. He has no history of violence. None. But now they're saying they're afraid of him. Why are they afraid of him? Because he's a black man? Because he's a big guy? Because he played football?"

Avila accused both the police department high school of discriminating against Clark, "violating his civil rights, abusing the process of the law, doing a false charge against him."

The station shared a Facebook post from Clark in which he lists incidents of racism he said his family suffered over the past three years:

In 2012, racial slur was aimed at his son.

In 2013, his son was told by a student his family "hangs from trees."

In 2014 his son was picked out of a crowd and asked his purpose for being on campus after hours.

In 2015, his wife was the target of a racial slur and provoked into a fight.

And last Saturday, his son was called a criminal.