Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s chief of staff denies that she recommended using a “peace circle” to address allegations of sexual harassment or misogyny against former communications director Ronnie Reese, saying that recommendation was made to address other issues Reese was facing in the office.
In an interview with WBEZ, Cristina Pacione-Zayas defended the actions she took in response to three complaints made against Reese but said the “peace circle” idea was meant to address other broader communication and management issues that Reese faced. She said those broader issues put Reese on a performance improvement plan, and Pacione-Zayas indicated those issues predated the allegations of misogyny or sexual harassment.
“I did not and would not have ever offered [a peace circle] for a serious allegation like sexual harassment,” Pacione-Zayas said.
Pacione-Zayas was made aware July 30 of three complaints, including one from a press office staff member that included allegations of misogyny and an alleged inappropriate incident where Reese told a staffer “Love you” after an unwanted hug, according to documents WBEZ obtained. Pacione-Zayas received an email from the city’s human resources department, in which a HR staffer described the allegations generally but did not attach the 29-page complaint.
The next day, according to Pacione-Zayas’ email response to the HR department, Pacione-Zayas held a previously scheduled meeting with members of the mayor’s press office. It was there she said she referenced a “restorative justice” model for Reese.
A restorative justice “peace circle” is a process where a group can attempt “to restore ‘the peace’ or repair relationships. There’s usually an acknowledgement of harm, and then from there, there is a shared responsibility for repairing the harm,” Pacione-Zayas said.
But the suggestion was opposed by staffers who feared retaliation, according to the complaint.
The suggestion of “peace circles” became a flashpoint in a budget hearing last week, in which some alderpersons pressed the human resources department commissioner on whether it’s a recommended tool to address sexual harassment complaints.
Despite being aware of the general complaints of misogyny at the time she suggested the peace circle, Pacione-Zayas insisted to WBEZ that the suggestion was “separate and apart” from those allegations, and meant to address broader management issues.
And she stressed a need for “due process” around allegations of sexual harassment.
“There is another opportunity for somebody to give ‘Hey, this is my side of the story,’ and you then monitor and check for any changes or any other complaints,” Pacione-Zayas said. “So that was one track, and then I was dealing with the writ large general concerns.”
In response to the formal complaints of misogyny and more, the city’s human resources department recommended Pacione-Zayas provide coaching to Reese, in addition to him enrolling in two training courses, according to emails obtained by WBEZ via an open records request. The HR department stressed “Reese should also be informed that as a higher-level supervisor with public-facing duties, he is also held to higher standards and may be subjected to a higher level of discipline, including discharge.”
When asked whether she felt training and coaching was sufficient, Pacione-Zayas said she followed the recommendations of the city’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, including meeting with Reese on Aug. 5, less than a week after being notified of the complaints.
On Aug. 5, Pacione-Zayas also began a performance improvement plan, she said to address the broader management and communication issues. A spokesperson for the mayor’s office said that plan had a Sept. 27 deadline, which Reese failed to meet. Reese asked for an extension and still did not complete the goals of the plan, a spokesperson said. At that point, the process of termination began. The mayor’s office declined to provide copies of the plan, stating it was protected for privacy.
Reese did not respond to a request for comment.
When asked whether there was anything Pacione-Zayas withheld from the mayor throughout the entire process, she said she informed the mayor of the formal HR complaints against Reese, how she was addressing them and “generally what I was doing across the entire office.”
But Pacione-Zayas echoed Johnson’s explanation that neither she nor the mayor were aware of more specific details of the sexual harassment allegations until the complaints were made public a month after Reese was fired.
Reese has since been placed on the city’s do-not-hire list in the wake of the complaints’ release, Pacione-Zayas said.
Pacione-Zayas said for the last several months she has been working with the city’s law and human resources departments to review the city’s personnel rules, which were last updated in 2014.
“With the recent news people are asking if we’re living up to our values, and you know, I want them to know that I am forcing that question in every single aspect of the infrastructure throughout the city,” Pacione-Zayas said.
Mariah Woelfel and Tessa Weinberg cover city politics and government for WBEZ.