Group pulls support for COD candidate accused of harassment
The political action committee of the College of DuPage Faculty Association has withdrawn its endorsement of board candidate Frank Flores, Jr., who officials said was fired as a COD employee in 2010 after allegations of sexual harassment surfaced.
In a statement withdrawing official support for Flores’ candidacy, the faculty called the allegations against Flores “untrue” and “clearly politically motivated.”
“We are reluctant to do this, and Frank will continue his candidacy, but we cannot allow these untrue allegations and the negative press to damage the credibility of the faculty or our efforts to improve the COD board,” Chris Goergen, director of Friends for Education, the faculty’s political action committee, said in a statement. “These allegations are politically motivated to defeat Frank and attack the faculty.”
College President Robert Breuder last week said Flores was accused of sexual harassment of a verbal nature by a female lifeguard at the pool where Flores was a temporary assistant aquatics manager from Aug. 18, 2010 to Dec. 2, 2010.
In a separate case, a patron of the pool told police Flores had made “inappropriate comments” to her, including “I want to taste you,” and “I pee’d in the pool,” according to an Oct. 30, 2010 COD Police Department report.
Flores was not prosecuted, but he was terminated by the college and made ineligible for rehire, Breuder said.
The faculty PAC called Flores, a 53-year-old education consultant who has worked in aquatics at the Glen Ellyn Park District and HealthTrack in Glen Ellyn, a “person of honor and integrity.”
“We have serious concerns about how this unsubstantiated information was released,” Glenn Hansen, faculty association president, said in a statement. “But the important thing is to focus on improving the COD board of trustees and voting the incumbents out of office.”
Flores did not immediately return a call Saturday seeking comment.
Flores is one of six candidates running in the April 9 election for two 6-year seats on the college’s board. Also running are Board Chairman Dave Carlin, incumbent Trustee Joe Wozniak, Ed Agustin, Mike Lanners and Kathy Hamilton.
Ÿ To see all of our coverage of the College of DuPage board of trustees race, including candidate bios, go to http://www.dailyherald.com/news/politics/election/race/College-Of-DuPage-School-Board/