Judge delays decision on Markham restraining order against Park District over prom helicopter incident

A judge Monday delayed a decision on issuing a temporary restraining order against the Markham Park District for an incident involving a helicopter landing for prom last week.

The Markham Park District executive director, Quintina Brown, hired a helicopter for her daughter's prom send-off, which then landed in a public park without authorization. The incident sparked outrage on social media and in the south suburb.

The city was in court Monday to ask a judge for a temporary restraining order that would limit Brown and the park district in general from signing contracts without the larger park district board's approval.

Lawyers for Markham alleged that on the receipt for the helicopter, Brown listed the park district's address as the billing address, and said they believed she didn't intend to pay for it out of pocket until the story was reported in the media.

"I understand the council's representation but the timing of that is suspect," attorneys for the city argued.

Both parties confirmed they had agreed on Friday that no helicopters would be allowed in Markham parks.

The judge did not grant a TRO Monday, instead saying he wanted to allow for discovery. A hearing on a possible preliminary injunction will be set for 28 days from now, though an exact date was not set at the end of the hearing.