School Board Candidate Faces Reopened Investigation Over Alleged Misconduct With Teen

A Chicago school watchdog has reopened an investigation into Hilario Dominguez, a candidate running to lead the Chicago Board of Education. The inspector general — the official whose job is to look into wrongdoing — had closed the case earlier this year. But now, new information has caused the office to take another look at claims that Dominguez behaved in an inappropriate way toward a teenager back in 2017.

Dominguez, who is 31 years old, was working at a nonprofit called The Resurrection Project in the summer of 2017. A 17-year-old girl was enrolled in a city youth jobs program there, working as an organizer, while Dominguez served as a coordinator. He was 24 years old at the time. The woman is now 26 and recently sat down with the Chicago Tribune to tell her story.

She said that while Dominguez was driving her to a work event, he asked her what type of men she was interested in. She said the comment made her uncomfortable. A week or two later, she said he grabbed her around the waist in the office lobby and swung her off the ground. 'My feet were off the ground,' she told the Tribune. 'I was completely not in control at that point. That's what felt very terrible.'

A housing counselor at the nonprofit, Paloma Rodriguez, wrote a report in 2018 about what the teen had shared with her. Rodriguez wrote that the girl said Dominguez was alone with her more than once, offered her rides home, and asked her questions about her dating life. Two other staff members at the nonprofit also confirmed they had heard about the concerns that summer. Rodriguez told the Tribune, 'I know that there was this very immediate, motherly instinct of, that's very inappropriate, should not be happening.'

The woman said she was surprised to find out the inspector general had already closed the case, because no one from that office had ever interviewed her. She has since contacted the inspector general's office herself. Philip Wagenknecht, the inspector general, confirmed on Friday that the case was reopened after his office received new information.

Dominguez has denied wrongdoing. His lawyer, Larry Suffredin, called the claims 'proven false allegations' and said Dominguez denies the facts as described. In a written statement, Dominguez said the matter had been investigated more than once and found to be unfounded. 'Accountability means something in both directions,' he wrote.

The woman showed the Tribune a text message she said was from Dominguez, sent about a year after the incident. In the message, he wrote that he wanted to apologize for any negative effects and asked if she would be open to talking. She said she never responded, and Dominguez did not answer the Tribune's questions about the message.

The woman said she decided to speak out because Dominguez is seeking a powerful role in a school system that serves young people. She was also tired of others telling her story without including her. 'I just want to have a locus of control of myself now, and that's all I can do,' she said.