Samysha Williams, the former building department director in the village of Dolton, has become the latest to sue Dolton's scandal-plagued Mayor Tiffany Henyard, accusing her and her political allies of smearing her reputation amid a village political campaign in 2022, allegedly falsely accusing her of fraud and theft of village resources.
The lawsuit accuses them of defamation and false light for mailers the Friends of Tiffany Henyard sent in 2022 to village residents when Williams ran for village trustee opposing Henyard's rule in the troubled village.
Henyard has been repeatedly accused of corruption, misgovernance and lawlessness since she took office as village president in the south suburban community in 2021.
Those accusations have spilled over repeatedly into Cook County court, where she and the village have been sued for a variety of claims.
Other officials in Dolton have accused Henyard of misusing village police for her own security and raiding the village's funds for her own personal benefit and enjoyment, throwing parties and spending large sums on "hair, makeup, photography and graphic design" for various promotions.
They have also accused her of ignoring her duties under the state's freedom of information law and refusing to release public documents, particularly those addressing the use of village money.
The village, under Henyard, has been sued by a business owner for denying licenses because they wouldn't support her political campaign.
And the village's former police chief has sued the village, claiming he was fired because his wife was too friendly with Henyard's political opponents.
Henyard's behavior has drawn attention from the Illinois Attorney General's Office over her creation of an allegedly fake charity run by political allies. Published reportsalso indicate the FBI is investigating allegations of corruption in Dolton and Thornton Township, where Henyard also serves as township supervisor, receiving a salary of $200,000 per year.
In the latest lawsuit, Williams is pursuing Henyard personally, along with her political organization.
According to the complaint, Williams was fired by Henyard shortly after taking medical leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act.
When Williams ran for village trustee shortly after, Henyard's organization circulated campaign mailers asserting Williams had been fired for FMLA and "paid time off" fraud, forgery, and theft of village resources.
Williams' lawsuit says those claims were false, and Henyard and her campaign allegedly knew they were false when they spread the accusations.
The lawsuit seeks damages of at least $50,000, plus punitive damages and attorney fees.
Williams is represented by attorney Matthew R. Custardo, of Custardo Law, of Lisle.