Commission Investigator Resigns Over Email Flap

Monday, April 22, 2019 | 0

An investigator for the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission resigned after being confronted with what the Chicago Tribune characterizes as racist and sexist emails.

Donald R. Johnson resigned immediately in February when confronted about the emails, according to a report released Friday by the state’s Office of Executive Inspector General.

The inspector general said it found 18 non-work related emails on Johnson’s computer, including threads with images of naked women, explicit sexual references, and political and racist messages.

The report did not include copies of the emails, and the Tribune reports that much of what was said in the messages was redacted.

One email referred to former President Barack Obama as a “mutt,” according to the Tribune. Another criticized Michelle Obama for visiting China by comparing her to “Hanoi Jane,” a sobriquet slapped on Jane Fonda for visiting North Vietnam in 1972.

Johnson is the second investigator to leave the commission as a result of a 2017 probe into racist, sexist and homophobic emails that circulated among Chicago Water Department employees.

Investigator Frank Capuzi retired in July 2017 for offensive emails, including one about a “Chicago Safari” that mocked shootings in black and Hispanic neighborhoods.