Maine Twp. trustee stands by her harassment allegations despite law firm's report
Maine Township Trustee Kimberly Jones says she's considering her options after an investigation found a lack of evidence to support her accusations that board colleague David Carrabotta inappropriately touched her three times.
At a meeting Monday night, Trustees Susan Sweeney, Claire McKenzie and Carrabotta voted to make public the Ancel Glink law firm's report detailing its investigation of the sexual harassment allegations. Neither Jones nor Township Supervisor Laura Morask could attend the special meeting and criticized Sweeney and McKenzie for calling it Monday.
Lawyers Robert T. McCabe and Margaret Kostopulos conducted the investigation, which examined whether Carrabotta violated the township's sexual harassment policy. The report says, in part, "there is simply no evidence" proving Carrabotta inappropriately touched Jones.
Jones filed a written complaint against Carrabotta on May 25, which led to the probe. She claimed he touched her buttocks a combined three times on Jan. 23 and May 16, while posing for photographs with an Eagle Scout and at a MaineStreamers senior social group's birthday party for a 90-year-old at Chateau Ritz in Niles.
Jones said she believes the law firm's report is incomplete and doesn't consider the case over.
"I have other legal avenues," she said. "I have contacted attorneys."
In a review of the Jan. 23 board meeting video at which the group photo with the Eagle Scout was taken, the investigating attorneys said they didn't find anything improper, but added Jones "sincerely believes" Carrabotta touched her.
"At two times on the video, Trustee Jones clearly turned her head to look at Trustee Carrabotta while the participants were assembling," the 27-page report states. "We were not able to see any obvious touching. The view was somewhat obscured at times because of where (the photographer) was standing."
Carrabotta denies touching Jones' buttocks, either intentionally or accidentally, according to the report. His denials were captured on an audio recording made after a May 22 meeting as Jones confronted him with her accusations.
"I'm telling you, it never happened," the report quotes Carrabotta telling Jones.
"It happened three times," she said.
"You're crazy," Carrabotta replied.
Citing his lawyer's advice, Carrabotta declined to comment on the report.
Attorney expenses for the investigation were not immediately available. The lawyers talked to eight potential witnesses as part of the probe, including Carrabotta and Jones.
Jones, a township trustee since 2014, served as a Park Ridge alderman from 2005 to 2007. She works for the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation's division of banking.
Carrabotta, an attorney from Niles, was elected to the township board in 2017.