Over the course of just one year, Chicago Public Schools officials signed off on misconduct findings against hundreds of employees across the city. Between Jan. 3, 2025 and Jan. 6, 2026, district records show CPS sustained misconduct findings against 723 employees in 794 disciplinary cases. Most involved familiar workplace problems such as chronic absences, tardiness or insubordination, but dozens were more serious, including 10 employees who resigned or were fired after facing sexual abuse allegations. The outcomes ranged from verbal warnings to suspensions and do-not-rehire labels, affecting staff in school buildings and central offices alike.
An analysis of district files obtained by WTTW News found that the typical disciplinary case contained three separate allegations, and that roughly 3% of sustained findings were later overturned or reduced on appeal. In 2025 alone, there were nearly 140 suspensions, with about 3.5% of those suspensions eventually shortened and roughly one third of all cases ending in warnings. According to WTTW News, those figures capture discipline issued at both school and district levels and show how union contracts, due process rules and appeal rights can reshape final outcomes.
Watchdog Data Shows Scope Of Sexual Allegations
The Chicago Board of Education’s Office of Inspector General logged 1,278 complaints in Fiscal Year 2025 and tagged 246 of them as sexual allegations, including 20 classified as sexual abuse and 13 as grooming, according to the CPS Office of Inspector General. The annual report details multiple probes at a single high school campus and outlines cases that led to criminal charges and convictions, illustrating why some complaints move from internal review to law enforcement. The watchdog also notes that it opens investigations selectively because of limited staff and time, which means many substantiated complaints are handled through other CPS discipline channels instead of full OIG investigations.
Fraud, Do-Not-Rehire Orders And Staffing Fights
WTTW News’ review of district documents found CPS issued fraud-related discipline to 26 employees in 2025 and recorded roughly 40 do-not-rehire notices. Recent oversight has repeatedly flagged pandemic-relief, residency and timecard abuses as trouble spots. The reporting also shows that citywide staff, employees who work across several schools or district offices, made up a large share of disciplinary cases, and that almost 160 schools saw multiple disciplinary actions last year. Leaders with Service Employees International Union Local 73 told reporters they have seen an uptick in discipline against custodians amid ongoing staffing changes, a trend district officials say they are monitoring.
What Parents And Staff Should Know
Under CPS policy, employee sexual misconduct allegations are routed to the Office of Inspector General, while Title IX concerns are handled by the district’s Office of Student Protections and Title IX, as laid out in Chicago Public Schools guidance on Chicago Public Schools. For context, the district’s own Chicago Public Schools statistics list about 45,630 total employees across schools and central offices, a scale that helps explain why officials repeatedly describe these disciplinary cases as a small fraction of the overall workforce. Families and staff who suspect misconduct or fraud are directed to use the CPS reporting portal and the OIG’s complaint tools, which allow confidential reporting.
Legal Stakes And Long Timelines
When the Office of Inspector General substantiates allegations, it can recommend firing an employee, assigning a do-not-rehire designation and referring the case to criminal prosecutors. The watchdog uses a preponderance-of-the-evidence standard in its investigations, according to the CPS Office of Inspector General. Criminal proceedings and labor disputes often move on different tracks, which is why some employees choose to resign while cases are still pending and why families and school staff can wait months before learning how a case is finally resolved.
