A retired police sergeant is at the center of a heated legal battle, alleging that his constitutional rights were violated by his former colleagues in law enforcement. Kenneth Kovac filed a complaint on March 14, 2025, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against the Village of Orland Park and several individual defendants, including Eric Rossi, Chief of Police, and Brian West, former Deputy Chief.
The case revolves around Kovac's creation of a parody Facebook page in January 2024, which mocked then-Deputy Chief Brian West. Using the pseudonym "Bryan Kast," Kovac used an unflattering photograph of West and posted satirical comments on the Village's Facebook page. The posts were intended to humorously depict West as an ardent supporter of Village Mayor Keith Pekau. However, this act did not sit well with West and other officials who allegedly conspired to shut down the page and criminally charge Kovac. According to the complaint, "Defendants’ efforts resulted in Plaintiff’s arrest and prosecution for false personation and disorderly conduct," charges that were eventually dismissed by the Circuit Court of Cook County.
Kovac claims that his First Amendment rights to free expression were infringed upon when he was arrested without probable cause for creating content protected under constitutional free speech provisions. The lawsuit also alleges violations under the Fourth Amendment due to unreasonable searches and seizures conducted during the investigation into his social media activities. Furthermore, Kovac accuses the defendants of conspiracy to violate these constitutional rights and seeks both declaratory judgments and injunctive relief from further retaliatory actions by Orland Park officials.
In addition to seeking compensatory damages for emotional distress, reputational harm, and financial costs incurred due to legal fees, Kovac is also pursuing punitive damages against individual defendants for their alleged malicious actions. The complaint underscores that "the Village continues to maintain publicly that the actions taken against Plaintiff were lawful," highlighting ongoing tensions between Kovac and his former employer.
Representing Kovac are attorneys Christopher J. Wilmes and Justin Tresnowski from Hughes Socol Piers Resnick & DYM Ltd., based in Chicago. The case is identified as Case No. 1:25-cv-02696 with a jury trial demanded.