Former Joliet Parks Director Engaged in Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Admits to Giving Sex Toy to Plaint
Joliet, IL—Dominic Egizio, the former Joliet Park District director, admitted—among sexual harassment claims—to giving the plaintiff, Jeanetta Matichak, several gifts throughout March 2015, including clothing and a sex toy.
The admission comes in a reply filed August 8th, 2016 with the United States District Court. Egizio denies most other allegations found in Ms. Matichak’s statement. However, he also admits that he received a letter from Matichak’s husband, requesting that he leave her alone.
The lawsuit claims that Matichak was the victim of frequent and unwanted, sexual advances by Egizio, while employed as a fitness “boot camp” instructor at the Joliet Park District from July 2011 until May 2015.
In her statement, Matichak says that shortly after being hired, Egizio began making suggestive remarks to her, “openly and in the presence of supervisors and at least one Board member.” A few months after her hiring, she says that Egizio began making sexual advances towards her, although, she rebuffed them.
She reports repeatedly being called to his office “for no legitimate reason” where he would then proceed to make a sexual advance towards her. She recalls rejecting him—frequently, having to push Egizio off of her—while telling him, “no”, “I can’t do this”, and “I don’t want to do this”.
Further attempts at sexual coercion towards Matichak included, on more than one occasion, requesting that she report to work early. Upon arriving at the park district, Matichak claims Egizio would force her to engage in sexual contact despite, her refusals.
The statement says that her continued refusal to engage his advances, prompted Egizio to begin threatening her position in return for sexual favors. He also threatened to use local government connections to have Ms. Matichak’s husband—a police officer with the City of Joliet—terminated, if she refused to comply with his sexual demands.
Around February of 2015, Matichak says that she approached a female supervisor to make a complaint towards Egizio. According to Matichak, though, no supervisor followed up with her regarding her complaint.
By March of 2015, Matichak says she “began to suffer panic attacks”, caused by, “Defendant Egizio’s relentless intimidating and manipulative pressure to engage in sexual relations” and “threats to her and her husband’s livelihoods.”
Following, a panic attack at a work-related event in April of 2015, Matichak remembers Egizio taking her to a hotel to calm her nerves. According to her statement, he “kept urging her to drink so much alcohol that she experienced a partial black-out.” He then proceeded to sexually assault her.
In May of 2015, Ms. Matichak suffered a mental breakdown for which she underwent hospitalization. She has been on an unpaid medical leave since then.
Earlier this month, Egizio was placed on a paid leave--pending litigation towards Egizio and the Joliet Park District—according, to Bob Okon of The Herald-News. Six weeks later, Egizio resigned from his position as parks director.
Mr. Egizio now works as Director of Parks and Recreation for the Midlothian Park District. Further litigation has yet to take place.
For more information on the lawsuit visit:
https://www.scribd.com/doc/315015666/Egizio-Complaint
https://www.scribd.com/document/320949996/Egizio-Reply
