Chicago schools watchdog defends Dominguez investigation

CHICAGO CITY HALL (WBBM Newsradio) -- The top watchdog for Chicago Public Schools said he faced no outside influence during his latest investigation into sexual misconduct allegations against a candidate for Board of Education president.

The statement from CPS Inspector General Philip Wagenknecht comes as the district is set to release his office's report on its investigation into the actions of candidate Hilario Dominguez, dating back to his time with The Resurrection Project in 2017.

A then-17-year-old girl claimed that Dominguez asked her what kind of men she liked and spun her around in a hug. The allegations first surfaced during Dominguez' unsuccessful run for Chicago alderman in 2019, and the latest investigation is the fourth to focus on the encounter.

Dominguez told WBBM Newsradio on October 9 that he was cooperating with the OIG, and that the allegations were politically motivated.

"That (the allegations) did not occur ... and at some point, the due process has to matter just as much as the accountability does," he told political editor Geoff Buchholz.

Now, some elected leaders and others have been calling for an independent investigation, noting that Mayor Brandon Johnson appointed Wagenkecht to the IG post, and has endorsed Dominguez, who like the mayor is a former Chicago Teachers Union organizer. The mayor also repeatedly called in public for Wagenknecht's office to complete its investigation of Dominguez with "expediency," saying this week it was what Chicagoans deserved.

On Friday, Wagenknecht released a statement to WBBM Newsradio that in part refuted the suggestion of undue influence from the mayor.

"No one outside this office has influence over how OIG investigations are handled, and there were no external efforts to influence this matter," the statement said. As to the timing of the investigation and its conclusion, the statement quotes Wagenknecht as saying "the investigation was conducted in accordance with the OIG's standard practices and procedures. In no way was this investigation rushed or concluded prematurely."