Illinois Mayor and Congressional Hopeful Accused of Inappropriate Student Relationship
An Illinois mayor and aspiring Democratic congressman has been plunged into scandal after a former student publicly accused him of engaging in an inappropriate relationship during his tenure as a mathematics professor. Daniel Biss, the mayor of Evanston, faces allegations from Megan Wachspress, who detailed their past involvement in a social media post on Monday afternoon, just hours before polls opened for the Illinois primary election.
Allegations Surface on Social Media
Megan Wachspress, a Stanford Law School lecturer and former Jeopardy! contestant, shared her account on Bluesky, stating she had an inappropriate romantic relationship with Biss while she was an undergraduate student at the University of Chicago. According to her LinkedIn profile, Wachspress attended the university from 2002 to 2006, majoring in mathematics and political science, and was 20 years old at the time of the alleged relationship.
"If he's going to get a national profile on the strength of a younger woman's campaign, I'm going to come out and say it: during his short-lived tenure as a math professor, Biss had an inappropriate romantic relationship with one of his undergraduate students. I was that student," Wachspress wrote in her post.
Timing and Context of the Relationship
Biss, now 48, served as an assistant professor of mathematics at the University of Chicago from September 2002 to August 2008, as per his LinkedIn page. He was not married during this period. Wachspress emphasized that their relationship occurred after she was no longer his student and that both were consenting adults. However, she explained that her perspective changed after becoming a college educator herself.
"It took becoming a professor myself to realize the implications - what it means to be attracted to someone who categorically has less power than you," she wrote on Bluesky.
Campaign Response and Acknowledgment
Following Wachspress's allegations, a spokesperson for Biss's campaign acknowledged the relationship in a statement to The Daily Northwestern. The spokesperson described it as "ill-advised," noting that it took place in 2004 when Biss was 26 and before he met his wife. The relationship reportedly consisted of a handful of dates over a few weeks after the course ended, which Biss ended upon realizing its inappropriateness.
Wachspress later elaborated on her experience in a Substack post, detailing how Biss initiated contact via email after their course concluded, leading to what she described as "very intense evenings." She expressed feeling "so, so ashamed" afterward and attempted to move on by focusing on graduate studies.
Motivations for Coming Forward
Wachspress cited multiple reasons for her decision to speak out, including the Illinois 9th District primary campaign, which she said made her "miserable." She also mentioned gaining career security through a tenure-track law teaching position, which empowered her to address the issue publicly.
"To want someone who wants to learn from you is to want someone for their powerlessness. And so, much later than I should, I realized this was my last chance, and I said something," she added in her Substack post.
Personal Lives and Current Context
Both individuals are now married with children. Biss is married to Karin Steinbrueck, an assistant professor at National Louis University, and they have two children. Wachspress is also married with children. The allegations emerged as Illinois voters headed to the polls on Tuesday morning, with Biss competing against Laura Fine and Kat Abughazaleh for the 9th district congressional seat.
Wachspress concluded her initial statement by questioning the impact of such behavior, stating, "I don't know if it's disqualifying, but there are too many women not getting a platform as a result of behavior like this for me not to say something." The Daily Mail has contacted both Wachspress and Biss for further comment, but responses are pending as the political race intensifies.
