A Chicago Democrat made a unorthodox recommendation for a former colleague’s ‘rehabilitation’ after he was accused of sexual harassment and misogyny.
Cristina Pacione-Zayas, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s Chief of Staff, allegedly suggested implementing a ‘peace circle’ to cure her ailing colleague, Ronnie Reese, who was later fired from his post for ‘unwanted and unwelcome’ harassment.
Defending her ‘peace circle’ recommendation, the 46-year-old staffer claimed the exercise was ‘meant to address other broader communication and management issues.’ She denies that it was specifically targeted at addressing the sexual harassment claims against Reese.
A restorative justice ‘peace circle’ is a process where a group can attempt ‘to restore the peace’ or repair relationships.
As a part of the ‘healing exercise there is usually an acknowledgment of harm, and from there, there is a shared responsibility for repairing the harm, Pacione-Zayas said.
Earlier this year, Pacione-Zayas was made aware of three separate complaints filed against Reese, including allegations of misogyny and an alleged inappropriate incident where Reese told a staffer ‘love you’ after an unwanted hug.
In a response to a Human Resources Department email acknowledging the July 30 complaint, it was revealed that Pacione-Zayas has already referenced the ‘restorative justice’ model for the disgraced former employee.
Cristina Pacione-Zayas (pictured) allegedly made a ridiculous recommendation for a former colleague’s ‘rehabilitation’ after he was accused of sexual harassment and misogyny
Pacione-Zayas, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s (left) Chief of Staff, allegedly suggested implementing a ‘peace circle’ to cure her ailing colleague, Ronnie Reese (right), who was later fired from his post for ‘unwanted and unwelcome’ harassment
But the suggestion was opposed by staffers who feared retaliation, according to the complaint.
However, despite her awareness of the general complaints of misogyny at the time of her ‘peace circle’ recommendation, the head staffer insisted that the suggestion was ‘separate and apart’ from those allegations.
Pacione-Zayas continued to back her outlandish suggestion claiming 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.’
On August 5, Pacione-Zayas claimed she began a performance improvement plan, for Reese to address the ‘broader’ issues.
A spokesperson for the mayor’s office said that plan had a strict end of September deadline, which Reese ultimately failed to meet.
Reese then asked for an extension and still did not complete the goals of the plan, a spokesperson told the Chicago Sun Times.
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 has since been placed on the city’s do-not-hire list in the wake of the complaints’ release, Pacione-Zayas added.
Last Tuesday, the embattled Chicago Mayor had to face furious residents at a town hall meeting over the migrant crisis as they called for Donald Trump to ‘make an example’ out of him.
Johnson, 48, has endured a torrid tenure as Mayor since his election last year, with Chicagoans now sounding off on his handling of the migrant crisis and the huge taxpayer funds he has poured into the issue.
Johnson’s tenure as Chicago Mayor has been dominated by the migrant crisis, with it revealed earlier this year he has spent upwards of $400 million on an influx of over 42,000 migrants
A lawsuit earlier this year revealed that from August 2022 to June 2024, over 42,000 migrants entered Chicago, and Johnson spent a staggering $400 million tackling the influx – with a huge percentage going towards private companies.
Fury over Johnson’s approach reached boiling point last week as residents had an opportunity to make their voices heard directly to the Democrat.
One exasperated woman told him: ‘We’re in a billion-dollar deficit, and you spent half of our money on illegals?’
She also cited Johnson’s stated refusal to aid ICE in allowing Trump’s mass deportation plan, saying: ‘You all stood up there and said you will not allow Trump to come here and get these illegals… Trump, Tom Homan, make an example of this ne*** right here first.’
Johnson took issue with her use of the word ‘ne***’, and cut off her mic while telling her only to use ‘appropriate’ language.
When her mic was turned back on, the resident grew even more irate as she refused to be silenced by Johnson, barking back at him: ‘Okay, now we’re about to make y’all famous.’
Johnson stood with his hands in his pockets and grinned as Chicago residents fumed over his management of the crisis.
