The Chicago Public Schools (CPS) inspector general has reopened an investigation concerning Hilario Dominguez, a candidate for Chicago Board of Education president. This follows the closure of an earlier inquiry into his conduct. CPS Inspector General Philip Wagenknecht confirmed the reopening of the case but declined to detail the allegations.
Wagenknecht stated, “We issued a ‘not substantiated’ report earlier this year. We’ve now received additional information and are following up on this.” Previously, Dominguez’s attorney, former Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin, shared a June email from the inspector general’s office. The email indicated that the initial case against Dominguez had been closed due to insufficient evidence of “inappropriate interactions with a CPS student in 2017.” The alleged incident occurred while Dominguez worked at the Resurrection Project.
The case’s reopening comes despite the previous finding of no substantial evidence. The Chicago Tribune has interviewed the woman involved, who is not named since she was a minor at the time. She stated she was part of the city’s youth summer jobs program in 2017, where Dominguez was employed as a coordinator.
Allegations from that time describe Dominguez displaying inappropriate behavior. An internal statement by an employee, Paloma Rodriguez, described a 17-year-old girl reporting “inappropriate language and behavior” from Dominguez. Rodriguez’s report, written in 2018, noted the girl said Dominguez asked her personal questions and offered her rides home. The report also mentioned physical interaction that left her uncomfortable.
The woman, now 26, recounted an instance where Dominguez drove her to a work event and asked about her dating preferences. On another occasion, she described feeling uncomfortable when he lifted and swung her around, saying, “My breasts, my legs, everything was pressed against his body.” Her description emphasized a loss of control and discomfort.
The woman shared a text message with the Tribune, purportedly from Dominguez, acknowledging the allegations. Dominguez expressed regret for any negative impact caused by the situation and offered to discuss it further, though the woman said she never replied. The Tribune contacted Dominguez but he did not respond to questions about this message.
Additional accounts were provided by former Resurrection Project staff. Madeline Cruz and another staff member confirmed having discussions about the reported behavior. Rodriguez emphasized the inappropriateness of the behavior, stating, “That’s very inappropriate, should not be happening.”
Dominguez has contested the allegations, stating that they have been used against him for political purposes. He pointed to a relative of the woman, who had opposed him in a previous election, as the source of “weaponized rumors.” The relative denied involvement in spreading any allegations.
Despite the inspector general’s reopened investigation, details on its basis remain undisclosed. The woman involved expressed surprise that investigators had made previous determinations without interviewing her. She has since contacted the inspector general’s office to ensure her account is considered. Sylvia Ortiz-Cooper, a spokesperson for the Resurrection Project, confirmed Dominguez’s employment duration but provided no further comment. The decision to speak publicly, according to the woman, arose from a desire to reclaim her narrative and stress the need for accountability, especially as Dominguez pursues a role in public office.