Professor accused of hurling racial slurs, spitting on Black woman and her daughter outside Oak Park grocery store

Prosecutors on Sunday accused a longtime academic in sports exercise and rehabilitation of hurling racial slurs and spitting at a Black woman parked outside an Oak Park Jewel store in front of the woman’s young child earlier this month.

Authorities also said Alberto Friedmann, 53, allegedly sped past the victim in his Jaguar, narrowly missing her, but intentionally striking her vehicle with his.

Friedmann, of Oak Park, was charged with aggravated assault and hate crime, both felonies, in relation to the Sept. 7 incident that happened in the parking lot at the Jewel at 438 W. Madison St. in the western suburb, according to authorities.

At a hearing broadcast on YouTube, Judge Susana Ortiz ordered Friedmann released on $2,500 bail but barred him from contacting the victim or witnesses. Friedmann’s attorney denied all allegations that his client made racial statements during the incident that occurred just after 4:30 p.m.

“My client vehemently denies using any racial language. It’s our position that it’s fabricated that he used any such language. He’s a minority himself. He’s a child of immigrants,” Friedmann’s attorney John McNamara told the judge. “This is completely outside of his nature.”

The woman and her 7-year-old daughter were in a parked car waiting for her mother to finish shopping when she heard honking and yelling behind her, according to Assistant State’s Attorney Lindsay Ruedig.

After exiting his car, Friedmann is accused of yelling slurs at the victim and her daughter, Ruedig told the court. When the victim attempted to open her own door, Friedmann allegedly slammed her door shut and spit in her face, telling her he spit “because he does not like Black people,” Ruedig said.

The victim’s mother exited the store in time to hear the slurs and see the offender spit at her daughter, authorities said. The victim exited her vehicle to get his license plate number but didn’t see one and called out for someone to call police.

Friedmann then allegedly accelerated toward the victim, who moved out of the way and wasn’t struck, Ruedig said. Friedmann’s vehicle struck the woman’s car twice. Eyewitnesses intervened when Friedmann exited his car a second time, and he was later arrested.

Prosecutors noted that there was store surveillance video of the incident but didn’t state what could be seen in the footage.

Friedmann holds a Ph.D. in kinesiology and exercise science and neurology from the University of Missouri and a Master’s in kinesiology and exercise science from Southern Illinois University, according to his attorney, McNamara.

A lecturer and educator for most of his career, he currently teaches neurokinesiology at the National University of Health Sciences, his attorney said. Officials for the university were unavailable Sunday to confirm Friedmann’s employment.

Two years ago, while working as an assistant professor of exercise science at Indiana State University, Friedmann was named a fellow with the Royal Society of Medicine in London.

Friedmann suffers from Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, an inherited condition that causes overly flexible limbs, as well as early onset Parkinson’s disease, McNamara said. His wife also suffers from a debilitating condition that requires 24-hour care. He was also featured on a segment on Discovery Health Channel, discussing the constant threat of his limbs dislocating because of his EDS condition.

The judge ordered bail, saying she “couldn’t ignore” the circumstances of the incident taking place in front of a child.

“May I make one statement,” Friedmann asked after the judge made her ruling. “Don’t say anything please,” his attorney answered.

He is scheduled to return to court Wednesday.