The Chicago Children’s Museum printed a full-page ad in Sunday’s Tribune claiming that more than 100 organizations supported its move to Grant Park. But some of those groups say they never actually signed on.
Suzanne Strassberger is with Metropolitan Family Services.
STRASSBERGER: This is a very new situation for us. I cannot think of any other time that we’ve been quoted as supporting something that we didn’t, you know, we hadn’t already gone through a process to weigh in on.
At least eight other groups say they shouldn’t have been on the list.
PR firm Hill & Knowlton is working for the Children’s Museum. This spring, the firm sent out invitations for the All Chicago Children’s Museum Committee.
That’s where the confusion started. At Metropolitan Family Services and The Salvation Army, staff members there thought they were signing up just for themselves.
In a statement, Children’s Museum President Jennifer Farrington apologized that the museum confused individual support for the organization’s stance.
Representatives from Hill & Knowlton did not return requests for comment by deadline.