Evanston Mayor Admits to Past Relationship Before Democratic Primary
Hours before the voting began in the Democratic primary, the mayor of Evanston, Daniel Biss, acknowledged having had an “indiscreet” relationship with a former student. This revelation came as he campaigns for Congress in Illinois’ 9th District.
A spokesperson confirmed that Biss, who was a professor at the University of Chicago, had an affair with a former student, Megan Waxpress, back in 2004. This admission surfaced on the eve of the primary election, raising eyebrows.
Waxpress, in her own posts on social media, described how their relationship blurred the lines between professor and student while they were both pursuing studies in mathematics and political science. She later became a lecturer at Stanford Law School.
Reflecting on the dynamics of their relationship, she expressed a deeper understanding of power imbalances in her recent comments, stating, “I don’t know if that’s disqualifying or not, but there are too many women who don’t get a platform because of this kind of behavior, so I can’t just not say something.”
The spokesperson clarified that at the time, Biss was 26 and Waxpress 20, noting that Biss was not married. They explained that after completing the course, the two went on a few dates over several weeks, which Biss recognized wasn’t advisable, leading him to conclude the relationship.
Biss, who has been an assistant professor at the University of Chicago from 2002 to 2008, has also faced scrutiny regarding his teaching methods. Waxpress shared how she noticed a shift in Biss’s attention toward her, with their email exchanges becoming increasingly personal and office hours stretching into the evening.
Waxpress recounted moments that suggested the beginnings of something romantic, including a book he gave her with a personal inscription. Despite the intensity of their relationship, she described a gradual decline in interaction as they realized the complications of their situation.
Interestingly, she mentioned an encounter during a Zoom call a few years ago, where Biss offered a sort of apology for their past, underscoring the lingering complexities of their connection.
Biss, currently leading in the race for the 9th District according to a recent Democratic primary poll, faces competition from Kat Abu-Ghazaleh, a former journalist and influencer.
