Fallout from a scandal within the Park District’s aquatics division continues to reverberate. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News)

At its first meeting of 2022, held Wednesday, the Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners continued to deal with the fallout from a sexual harassment scandal that rocked the district in 2021 and led to the resignation of former General Superintendent Mike Kelly.

A presentation from Alison Perona, interim inspector general, provided a brief overview of the 48 individual cases of harassment her office oversaw. The complaints stemmed from misconduct within the district’s aquatics division, described as a “frat boy culture.” In the majority of cases, 29 of the 48, evidence supported the allegations, Perona said.

As a result, 15 employees have been fired, resigned or were asked to resign.

The next step is to shift from reactive to proactive mode to ensure a “failure of this magnitude does not happen again,” said Rosa Escareño, interim general superintendent.

Establishment of an Office of Prevention and Accountability within the Park District puts the organization on a path toward regaining public trust, Escareño said.

Commissioners approved funding for the office in December, and at Wednesday’s meeting an amendment to the Park District’s code was submitted to formally create the office and outline the parameters under which it will operate. The amendment has been posted online and the public is encouraged to review the language and comment within the next 45 days.

In order to give Escareño time to get the office up and running — the funding allows for five staff members — commissioners voted Wednesday to extend her contract for three more months, through April 30. Escareño came out of retirement to lead the Park District after Kelly’s resignation, and the contract agreed to at the time was set to expire Jan. 31. 

Contact Patty Wetli: @pattywetli | (773) 509-5623 |  [email protected]