Chicago voters will choose all 21 school board members on November 3, 2026. It is the first time they will pick the whole board. Just days before that vote, board member Carlos Rivas is facing calls to resign. The reason is a 2018 workplace incident. The Chicago Sun-Times, WBEZ, and Chalkbeat all reported on it.
Records obtained by those outlets show that the Noble Network of Charter Schools disciplined Rivas in September 2018. The notice was written by Audrey Borling. She was then the principal of UIC College Prep, where Rivas worked. It says that in August 2018 Rivas "engaged in an inappropriate, unwanted touching of another employee without consent." He was drunk at a work event at the Robey Hotel in Wicker Park. The notice says Rivas could not deny this because he could not remember the evening. It also says Noble had warned him before about getting drunk at work events.
The notice gave Rivas a "last opportunity" to keep his job. The Sun-Times reported that he agreed to a 10-day suspension without pay. He also agreed to stay away from alcohol at work and to get counseling through Noble's employee assistance program. The Sun-Times reported that Rivas stayed at Noble until 2022. He then became public affairs director for the Civilian Office of Police Accountability. He still holds that job.
The records came out this week, close to the election. Campaign mailers pointed to them. The Sun-Times reported that the mailers came from Our Schools, a political action committee that is heavily funded by the Chicago Teachers Union. The group backs Rivas's opponent, Jason Dónes. The Sun-Times reported that it had spent about $20,000 to support Dónes through the end of September.
Rivas and Dónes both grew up in Humboldt Park. Both call themselves progressives. They are running in District 3b, which covers Humboldt Park and Hermosa. Chalkbeat and the Sun-Times reported that Rivas won the seat in 2024 with 54% of the vote. He beat Dónes that year too.
On Friday, October 30, 2026, a few District 3b parents spoke at a press conference. It was held near Chicago High School for the Arts, known as ChiArts. They called for Rivas to step down, Chalkbeat reported. "He shouldn't be sitting as a board member with this pattern of behavior," said Rousemary Vega. She is the mother of a ChiArts sophomore.
Rivas declined an interview. In a statement, he said the incident happened during a hard time. He was caring for his mother, who had end-stage renal failure and dementia. He said he took responsibility and got support through Noble's program. He said he served four more years at the network. "I believe in accountability, growth, and second chances," Rivas said. He added that the experience makes him want to focus on mental health support for school workers.