Accusations of Retaliation by 4 City Workers Fired and Placed on Do Not Hire List against Ronnie Reese, Former Top Aide to Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson

CHICAGO (WLS) — As the daughter of two Chicago police officers, public service was a natural fit for Azhley Rodriguez.

Securing a position in Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s press office had long been a cherished aspiration for Rodriquez. However, this dream job turned sour when Rodriquez was abruptly dismissed from the Brandon Johnson administration and added to a blacklist of undesirable hires.

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“It completely ruined a future I would have, so it’s not fair to me. And for the people behind me, it’s not fair to them either,” Rodriguez said.

Alongside Rodriquez, three other former members of Johnson’s press team also faced the same fate of termination and inclusion on the “Do Not Hire” register. Despite this drastic action, these ex-employees claim they were never provided with a concrete explanation for being blacklisted.

“I think it was retaliation,” Rodriguez said.

Their prevailing belief revolves around a suspicion of retribution orchestrated by Ronnie Reese, the former communications director under Johnson. Historical documents reveal that these former staff members had raised concerns about Reese’s alleged misconduct, which purportedly encompassed instances of harassment, sexism, and racism.

“I witnessed the different treatment of male and female staffers,” said former Mayoral Director of Digital Strategy Josué Ortiz.

In a statement, Reese denies all the allegations. He was fired in October and not placed on the “Do Not Hire” list.

Some of the former fired staffers brought their concerns about Reese last year to the mayor’s chief of staff, Christina Pacione-Zayas. They say she suggested peace circles and restorative justice to solve the issues with Reese.

On Monday, Johnson denied knowing about the allegations against Reese until last week, when his office received a Freedom of Information Act request for a copy of Reese’s personnel film. Some alderpersons doubt it.

“I don’t see how the mayor could not know about this,” said 38th Ward Ald. Scott Waguespack.

“The mayor says he didn’t know about it. There will some FOIA requests to determine whether or not that is true,” said 36th Ward Ald. Gil Villegas.

The four former employees have been taken off the “Do Not Hire” list following an appeal. But it took over a year.

The Do Not Hire List is usually reserved for ex-employees who accused of serious misconduct or crimes.