Tiffany Henyard sued by former Thornton Township and Dolton employees: 'Kicked to the curb'

DOLTON, Ill. - Lawsuits against Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard were filed Wednesday in federal court by former village and Thornton Township employees.

A group of former employees filed separate lawsuits against Henyard, the Village of Dolton and Thornton Township, alleging they were wrongfully terminated without just cause or due process, according to Custardo Law LLC. 

Sandra Tracy, a former Human Resources manager for Thornton Township, said she was targeted for refusing to make a list of all the "dirt" on township employees and taking leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). 

Tracy alleged after her FMLA leave she was locked out of the township building and made to work out of her car for months. Tracy said she was fired after she complained about six weeks of lost pay.

Samysha Williams, former director of Dolton's Building Permits and Licenses Department, said she was fired for refusing to withhold permits to business owners who did not make political donations to Henyard.

"She didn't want us to process business licenses and permits for certain business owners," said Samysha Williams. "She told me personally, because of one business owners in particular… I told her I said, ‘There's no reason for this business owner not to get his permits,' and she said, 'I don't care. Have his lawyer contact our lawyer.’"

Williams said she also refused to suppress FOIA request responses despite Henyard asking her to. 

While Williams was on approved FMLA leave, Henyard made a Dolton police officer go to her home and deliver a notice of termination letter, according to the lawsuit.

"A lot of employees are not stepping forward," said Williams, who added it’s probably due to retaliation and she’s not nervous. "There's nothing to be nervous about. I'm on the side of right."

Karen Johnson, a former employee in the Dolton Public Works Department, alleged she was retaliated against for refusing to work on Henyard's campaign while on the clock when Henyard was facing a recall in 2022. 

Johnson said she was fired after reading a negative news article about Henyard while at work.

"We believe that the Village and Township’s actions, under Mayor Henyard’s direction, were unjust, unfair, and unlawful," stated Matthew R. Custardo, attorney for the former employees. "Our clients were devoted public servants and they deserved better. Instead, they were bullied, intimidated, and kicked to the curb. But they’re fighting back."

The lawsuits seek compensatory damages for "lost wages, emotional distress, and reputational harm." 

Custardo said other former employees are considering lawsuits against Henyard.

"We continue to actively investigate these claims and anticipate filing another two or three lawsuits in the very near future," Custardo said. "We believe it's important to tell our clients' stories — it helps make sure that people who did wrong are held accountable, and it also gives courage to others in similar situations to stand up for themselves."

FOX32 has reached out to Mayor Tiffany Henyard for comment and she has not responded.

"I sent a letter today to the attorney general and state’s attorney and legislators asking for help," said Burt Odelson, the legislative counsel for Dolton’s Board of Trustees. He says the town cannot afford more lawsuits when there are close to 40 already. 

"She’s bankrupting the town. The town doesn’t have any money and it’s not going to have any money for a long time based on these suits," Odelson said. 

Henyard was also sued last week by a Dolton church, alleging discrimination.

Earlier this month, Henyard vetoed a resolution that was passed by the village board last month to investigate her spending.

The resolution received unanimous support and mandated the mayor to submit the village's financial records and called for an FBI investigation.