WBEZ investigative reporter Dan Mihalopoulos broke the story in 2021 about a major internal investigation within the Chicago Park District – one where several current and former supervisors in the aquatics department were accused of regularly committing “sexual assault, sexual abuse, sexual harassment, workplace violence and other criminal acts.”

The fallout from the scandal included resignations, apologies, promises, lawsuits and – effective Jan. 1, 2024 – a new state law that makes it easier for survivors of workplace gender violence to sue their employers successfully, according to the law’s sponsors.

In this episode, Mihalopoulos talked with The Rundown podcast host Erin Allen about the origins of the initial story and how the new law aims to financially assist survivors and dissuade future offenders.