Chicago school audit finds nearly 500 sexual complaints filed in prior year

Chicago school officials this week revealed that the school system recorded nearly 500 sexual complaints over the last year, with investigators stressing their inability to respond to a majority of all complaints they receive.

The Chicago Board of Education Office of Inspector General said in its 2022 annual report that it received 470 “sexual allegation” complaints over the course of FY2022. 

The OIG noted that that number of sexual complaints “do[es] not include matters that were referred to other investigative bodies,” such as “student-on-student” sexual complaints.

Overall, the 470 sexual allegations comprise just over one-quarter of all complaints fielded by the OIG over the course of the fiscal year. The OIG noted, meanwhile, that it cannot respond to even half of the total complaints it receives. 

“Of the 1,825 total complaints received, the OIG opened investigations into a total of 725 cases (39.7%),” the report said. 

“Several factors restrict the number of cases the OIG can open and investigate, including a continuing focus on significant and often complex issues and time consumed by post-investigation activities.”