Corrections secretary denies claims of sexual, work misconduct.

Corrections and Rehabilitation Secretary Francisco Quiñones Rivera

Governor vows swift action as Quiñones Rivera says allegations are part of a coordinated plan to remove him

By THE STAR STAFF

Gov. Jenniffer González Colón announced over the weekend that she is preparing to take swift action regarding Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR) Secretary Francisco Quiñones Rivera, who is facing four complaints alleging workplace harassment and sexual harassment.

The governor said she is actively reviewing the cases and is considering appointing the agency’s undersecretary, Lynette Pérez O’Neill, to temporarily take charge of the agency while investigations continue.

“I do not tolerate discrimination of any kind. So we are reviewing these cases so they can be investigated as quickly as possible,” González Colón said. “I will be in communication with the secretary of justice and the agencies involved in this process so that the work can continue. But we are taking precautions so that the victims or those who have filed complaints are not affected.”

González Colón emphasized that no option is off the table -- including the potential removal of Quiñones from his post.

Quiñones rejected a series of complaints filed against him, asserting that the accusations are false and part of a coordinated effort to undermine his leadership and push him out of the agency.

In an interview on Última Palabra, Quiñones confirmed that four complaints have been filed, all by individuals who held trust positions within the department. While not all of the complaints are of the same nature, he said they are related and stem from what he described as an internal campaign to limit his authority. “I categorically deny the allegations for one simple reason: they are false,” Quiñones said, adding that evidence such as text messages contradicts the claims.

During the interview, Quiñones showed text messages from one complainant — including messages displayed on-screen — that he says portray a relationship inconsistent with the allegations made against him. Some included comments like “me tienes abandonada” (“you’ve abandoned me”), which Quiñones argued directly refute claims of inappropriate conduct.

He emphasized that the messages presented were “complete and unedited,” saying the complainant would not release them publicly because they would show “deleted messages” that would weaken her claims.

Quiñones said only one complaint involves sexual harassment. Others focus on alleged workplace harassment or retaliation. He said one complainant even filed a second claim alleging retaliation after being named in separate workplace harassment complaints filed by employees under her supervision — a matter in which the DCR secretary insisted he played no role.

All four complainants were appointed to trust positions by Quiñones himself.

“It makes no sense to say I discriminated based on sex when I recruited all of them knowing they were women,” he said.

Quiñones attributed the complaints to power struggles within the agency, referencing long-standing political dynamics and resistance from individuals who, he said, expected to hold or influence leadership positions when he was appointed secretary.

He described an environment where “people beneath” him attempted to assert authority over the secretary and steer departmental decisions away from what Quiñones considered the agency’s best interests.

The DCR secretary also described instances in which internal political pressure was used in an attempt to influence his disciplinary decisions. He cited a case involving an officer accused of assaulting a restrained inmate, in which he signed a dismissal despite a high-ranking official urging him not to fire the officer because she had “worked on the campaign.”

“That is corruption by political impunity,” Quiñones said. “And with me, that will not happen.”

Quiñones confirmed that the Puerto Rico Department of Justice conducted a preliminary review of the complaints and has assumed his legal defense in the administrative proceedings.

“From day one, the intention has been to get me out of the agency,” he said. “They haven’t succeeded, and I’m not quitting.”