Embattled Dolton Mayor and Thornton Township Supervisor Tiffany Henyard has been using her positions of power much like that of a third world dictator. She has been accused of lavishing money on herself, destroying the budget and cutting the trustees out of the loop, even though financial oversight is at the core of their duties. Now Henyard has been named in a federal civil rights lawsuit accusing her of retaliation, false arrest and malicious prosecution.
One of Henyard’s first acts as Mayor was to create a security detail for herself. She hand picked officers from the Dolton police department, taking them away from serving the public to serving her instead at an annual cost to taxpayers of $250,000. The security team escorts Henyard around town in big black SUVs. They are armed and have full police powers.
According to the lawsuit, the officers are also being used to silence and intimidate Dolton residents.
In the filing, resident Stephanie Wiedeman attended a public gathering where Henyard was present. Henyard had a city employee place flyers promoting Henyard on the windshields of cars. Weideman removed the flyer from her windshield. Upon learning of this, Henyard had three Dolton officers remove Weideman from the meeting and place her under arrest. She was charged with theft and booked into the Dolton police department where she had to post bond.
The filing shows several other incidents where Henyard used the police to remove Weideman from other public gatherings and retaliate against her for Facebook posts which challenged her performace as Mayor and Thornton Township Supervisor.
Dolton resident and business owner Lawrence Gardner claims he has been harassed by Henyard for not supporting her. He maintains the city revoked his business license which destroyed his trucking company and store.
Dolton’s deputy village clerk Aris Montgomery filed a suit because she is the victim of intimidation. According to Montgomery, “People are walking on eggshells, so to speak. They’re afraid to have an opinion about anything or to fulfill their duties.”
Many are not aware of the fact that they have a township supervisor. If you live in Blue Island, Burnham, Calumet City, Dixmoor, Dolton, East Hazel Crest, Glenwood, Harvey, Hazel Crest, Homewood, Lansing, Markham, Phoenix, Posen, Riverdale, South Holland and Thornton, you are paying for Tiffany’s salary through her being the township supervisor.
References:
https://wgntv.com/news/wgn-investigates/claims-of-political-targeting-spark-drama-in-dolton/
https://edgarcountywatchdogs.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Wiedeman-complaint-filed-.pdf