Sex Harassment Case Costs Park District $375K

JOLIET, IL — The Joliet Park District has agreed to pay $375,000 to settle a sexual harassment case brought by a fitness instructor.

The instructor, Jeanetta Matichak, sued former park district director Dominic Egizio and the park district itself.

Matichak, a 39-year-old mother of three, accused Egizio of making “unwelcome sexual comments” to her, “such as, ‘Come over here so I can check out your ass.” The lawsuit said. Egizio’s bad behavior then allegedly escalated into making “sexual advances toward” Matichak.

While Matichak rebuffed Egizio’s advances, he persisted, the lawsuit said, and he “gave Ms. Matichak gifts, including lingerie, clothing, perfume, a sex toy,” and other unspecified presents.

Egizio, 50, actually admitted to giving Matichak the sex toy. He also conceded to giving her some clothing, according to court documents, but that’s where he drew the line.

Egizio also denied making “offensive, lewd, and vulgar sexual comments to Ms. Matichak,” such as asking “what color panties she was wearing,” telling “her that he fantasized about her and masturbated thinking about her every day,” and talking “about his penis size and badger(ing) her to discuss his penis size.”

The lawsuit also said Egizio exposed his genitals to Matichak and tried to kiss her.

In March 2015, the suit said, Matichak gave Egizio a letter, telling him it was from her husband and that it said to leave her alone.

Egizio “slammed the letter down on his desk, clenched his fists, and in a loud, angry, menacing tone, threatened her husband’s position as a police officer with the City of Joliet,” the lawsuit said.

“He stated, ‘If he’s going to mess with me, I’m going to mess with his job. I can get anything done to him,’” the suit said. “Egizio said ‘I have a lot of connections’ and specifically named a former Joliet Chief of Police and a prominent Park District sponsor."

Matichak accompanied Egizio to a hotel four times in April 2015, the lawsuit said.

“At the hotels, Defendant Egizio plied her with alcoholic drinks and when she became impaired by the alcohol, he demanded that she engage in sexual relations,” the suit said.

“On the final occasion that Defendant Egizio took Ms. Matichak to a hotel, Egizio kept urging her to drink so much alcohol that she experienced a partial black-out,” the suit said. “After he finished his sexual assault and as they left the hotel, she broke down sobbing.”

Matichak suffered a nervous breakdown because of Egizio and was hospitalized in May 2015, the suit said.

Egizio resigned from the park district in October 2015 amid a reported investigation of his allegedly inappropriate conduct.

Current park district director Tom Carstens failed to respond to messages about the case. Matichak’s attorney, Robin Potter, said she was “honored” to represent her client.

“It’s just our hope that this case will inspire other women and employees, especially in the next four years, to come forward and be courageous and report workplace sexual harassment and discrimination,” Potter said.

photo via Joliet Park District