Northfield woman gets a year of probation for telling Black cyclist to leave Winnetka pier

A Northfield woman has been sentenced to a year of probation after reaching a plea deal on charges that she told a man to leave a Winnetka pier because he was Black.

Irene Donoshaytis, 65, at first told the man he was not allowed on the beach in August of 2020 because he didn’t have a pass.

As the man begins recording, he asks, “Is it because I’m Black?” and the woman replies, “Yes” and nods her head. Donoshaytis then tries to knock the phone out of the man’s hand.

The cyclist, Otis Campbell, 25, said he had just finished a bike ride with friends when Donoshaytis confronted him. “From everything that’s been going on, it could’ve ended very bad,” Campbell said following the confrontation.

Donoshaytis was charged with a hate crime and was ordered held on $10,000 bail.

The charges were amended Wednesday to misdemeanor battery under a deal where she pleaded guilty and attended an anti-racism class.

Donoshaytis was sentenced to one year of probation.