The mayor of suburban Dolton has been hit with two new lawsuits, both brought by her fellow elected village officials, accusing her of improperly turning the Dolton Police Department into a personal security detail, and illegally forbidding village staff from complying with requests from the public for information about city business under her administration.
On April 12, members of the Dolton Village Board filed suit against Mayor Tiffany Henyard. In that lawsuit, the trustees assert Henyard has spent at least $100,000 of village funds in recent months to pay for at least one police officer to be assigned to her for personal security.
Also on April 12, Dolton Village Clerk Alison Key filed suit against Henyard, asserting she has illegally ordered the village’s employees to essentially ignore requests brought by the public for documents and other village public information under the state’s Freedom of Information Act.
Henyard has been no stranger to controversy since she was first elected mayor in the southwest suburban community in April 2021. She has repeatedly clashed with the board of trustees, who last year voted to censure her and sought to require her to receive approval from the village board before she can terminate any village employee, among other items, according to a report from The Southland Journal.
According to published reports, protesters have demanded her resignation, including in front of her home.
And most recently, in March, Henyard drew attention for also being elected by the Thornton Township board to also serve as township supervisor, in what The Lansing Journal described as “an unprecedented series of nominations and votes,” that resulted in Henyard’s selection with just 10 minutes remaining before a legal deadline.
According to a report from The Lansing Journal, a Thornton Township trustee said Henyard had applied for the position “some time ago.”
However, for months, Dolton trustees have notably clashed with Henyard over her decision to give herself personal police protection.
According to published reports, Henyard has denied allegations she enjoys 24-hour police protection.
But in the April 12 complaint, Dolton trustees say Henyard has assigned officers to herself for a “full-time, 24-hour security detail” since at least June 4, 2021, “at the expense of Village taxpayers.”
The lawsuit claims the expense for that police protection has not been included in the village budget or the police department’s budget.
Further, they said, the use of Dolton Police for the security detail regularly leaves the village short at least one officer, who would otherwise be on patrol duty to protect and serve the community.
Since last fall, the trustees say both Henyard and Dolton’s police chief have ignored directives from the village board “requesting information on why 24-hour security detail is necessary for the part-time Mayor.”
According to the lawsuit, expenses for such a security detail need to be approved by a two-thirds majority of the village board, since it is not included in Dolton’s village budget.
In the village clerk’s lawsuit, Key said Henyard is also refusing to answer requests for information from the public, allegedly in violation of the FOIA statute.
Under the FOIA law, public bodies, like the village of Dolton, are required in most instances to respond to FOIA requests within five days, subject to certain restrictions and exemptions. Public bodies, like villages, are given allowance under the law to request reasonable time extensions to fulfill certain requests.
In her role as village clerk, Key also serves as Dolton’s designated FOIA officer. This means all FOIA requests from the public come to her, and she is tasked with working with the village’s other offices and departments to locate, review and release the information, or deny the FOIA requests.
However, in this case, Key said her requests for assistance from the other village department heads have been met with silence, allegedly at the direction of Henyard, since January.
The mayor, Key said, “has no legal right to direct employees not to comply with the FOIA Officer’s requests for documents, in violation of law.”
Key said at least six unanswered FOIA requests are now under review by the Illinois Attorney General’s office.
She said the village further faces the risk of losing lawsuits that may be filed by people and organizations whose FOIA information requests have been ignored or improperly denied. She said the village has already received “numerous” lawsuit threats.
The trustees have requested a court order declaring Henyard’s use of police for personal security to be unlawful, and an order barring her from continuing to use police in such a manner.
Key is requesting a court order forcing Henyard and Dolton village staff to comply with FOIA, and turn over the documents and information lawfully requested by the public.
The trustees and village clerk are all represented in their lawsuits by attorney Michael J. McGrath, of the firm of Odelson Sterk Murphey Frazier & McGrath, of Evergreen Park.