U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman is back on the bench after a three-month health scare, telling colleagues he believes he picked up Legionnaires' disease from the water in his bathroom at the Everett McKinley Dirksen U.S. Courthouse. The 80-plus judge said the illness left him hospitalized, and he is still recovering even as he eases back into hearings.
As reported by ABC7 Chicago, Gettleman told the station, "I've never felt so sick in my adult life" and said doctors initially diagnosed meningitis before bloodwork shifted treatment to Legionnaires' disease. He said his doctor prescribed a Z-Pak and that testing of water in his Dirksen courthouse bathroom later found Legionella bacteria.
GSA Policy And Earlier Test Results
The General Services Administration requires response actions, including flushing, remediation and follow-up testing, when water sampling exceeds action thresholds, according to GSA guidance. The Dirksen building was among federal sites where earlier tests detected Legionella as well as lead and copper, per reporting by the Chicago Sun-Times.
Lawmakers Press For Fixes
Local federal lawmakers and court leaders have repeatedly urged GSA to tackle deferred maintenance at Dirksen and to install stronger water-quality controls. Senators Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin pressed the agency in an April 27 letter asking for timelines and prioritized repairs at the Dirksen courthouse, according to a release from Sen. Duckworth's office.
Federal procurement records show the GSA has ordered emergency flushes, retesting and, more recently, filter replacements and shower hygiene maintenance at the Dirksen building as part of remediation work. Contract calls published in July list work to replace Legionella filters and perform hygiene-shower maintenance at the courthouse, according to federal award listings on GovTribe.
Gettleman told the I-Team he is frustrated that a cost-effective prevention method exists but was not being used, and that he is concentrating on getting better as he returns to the bench, according to ABC7 Chicago. In a statement to the outlet, the GSA pushed back against drawing a firm causal link between the judge's illness and building water quality, saying the courts' suggestion lacked substantiating evidence.
