Supervisor Tiffany Henyard has filed a lawsuit against two trustees for missing meetings, aiming to ensure their attendance.
Thornton Township: Supervisor Tiffany Henyard is taking action against Trustees Chris Gonzalez and Carmen Carlisle. She’s fed up with their repeated absences from meetings.
Henyard filed a lawsuit to make sure they show up for Township Board meetings. She’s hoping the Cook County circuit court will back her up.
Her attorney, Max Solomon, is also involved in another case where Henyard is challenging the Thornton Township Democrats after missing out on the party’s nomination for supervisor.
Gonzalez and Carlisle have been vocal about their reasons for skipping meetings, claiming they didn’t have enough info on Henyard’s proposals. With Trustee Gerald Jones resigning, their absences mean the board can’t meet properly.
The lawsuit points out that without a quorum, important township business is getting stalled. Henyard mentioned that they’ve even had to cut back on services because of insurance issues.
According to the lawsuit, the Illinois Township Code requires these meetings for daily operations, including staff management and essential services for residents, especially seniors.
Gonzalez responded to the lawsuit, saying he hasn’t discussed it with Carlisle yet. He dismissed it as Henyard throwing a “temper tantrum” and believes it won’t hold up in court.
He argues that the lawsuit overlooks his participation in two meetings, one of which wasn’t officially started due to a location issue. He insists he walked out of another only after voting on several items.
The lawsuit was filed just before a board meeting that night, but Gonzalez wouldn’t say if he’d attend. He made it clear that the lawsuit wouldn’t sway his decision.
He called the lawsuit a desperate move, saying they won’t back down just because of threats. He believes they’ve come too far to give in now.
There’s also a public hearing coming up to vote in a new trustee to replace Jones. Residents can nominate candidates on January 21, leading up to the April election.
The hearing will take place at South Suburban College, and Gonzalez thinks voters will choose someone who’s critical of Henyard, who has faced backlash for her lack of transparency.
Regardless of the outcome, Gonzalez believes the standoff will end once a new trustee is chosen, as it will reflect the community’s stance on Henyard versus the trustees.
