The other big story tonight may be the most chaotic
meeting yet in troubled South suburban Dalton.
Nate Rogers sorting out another confrontation involving the mayor,
the board, and the public.
Nate.
Hey guys. This Board of Trustees meeting ended early tonight
with four trustees actually walking out abruptly.
The village clerk left early as well.
First, I want to paint a picture of what all
we were able to experience.
It was very chaotic and to be quite honest with
you,
frankly, honest with you. It was even scary at times.
For those of us that were inside of the meeting,
there were folks banging on the windows and doors of
the village hall.
About 100 residents showed up at the meeting tonight,
but only 42 residents were allowed inside.
They had to walk through metal detectors and they were
winded down.
Before I take you inside of the meeting,
I want you to listen to what happened outside.
First,
let
us in.
This is what democracy looks like.
Tell me what democracy looks like.
But at least the majority of the people in Dalton
should be able to think
like the mayor does. She's scary.
She's absolutely scary. Why can't we get in our public
building to have meetings?
Why are meetings being cancelled?
Why can't we have transparency?
What's going on with our tax dollars?
Several residents calling on Dalton Mayor and Thornton Township Supervisor
Tiffany Henyard to resign.
She's been criticized for mismanaging village funds and dividing the
board of trustees.
The meeting comes amid a sexual harassment and retaliation complaint
against Henyard.
A former employee says she was sexually assaulted during a
work trip in Las Vegas last year.
The complaint says the employee was disoriented and unsure how
she woke up inside a Village Trustees hotel room when
she woke up about the former employees.
Claims she was when she spoke up.
Excuse me about the claims she was retaliated against,
she says, and later fired.
The FBI is now looking into
village practices.
You know what happened in Vegas.
You know what happened and you will not.
You should be addressing it,
saying something to the residents about it.
I have cancer. Of course I do.
Tiffany stole money from a Cancer Foundation.
How dare you? How dare you steal?
And I helped you with your campaign.
How dare you steal from us?
I have to buy my wigs.
Are you going to reimburse me for the wigs that
I've been spending my money on?
And they say that you the worst mayor in America.
I agree.
Now no one is in custody and no charges have
been filed following that former employees complaint.
Also the trustee accused was absent from tonight's meeting.
Residents said we should. Residents said that that trustees should
resign as well.
Residents also wore blue ribbons in support of victims of
sexual abuse.
Now back out here, live just a little bit more
on background.
We've learned that this was the first time that metal
detectors were used.
The acting police chief saying that they received credible threats
even today about this meeting and that's why folks were
taken through metal detectors and wind down again.
Four out of their six trustees did leave the meeting
early.
Mayor Tiffany Henyard did criticize those board of trustees for
leaving,
saying that you really wanted to accomplish some of the
business of the village and as a result,
she was unable to do so.
Of course, we'll continue to stay on this story and
keep you updated with any new developments on air and
online.
In Dalton, I'm Nate Rogers FOX 32 Chicago.