Tiffany Henyard sued for allegedly firing employee who wouldn’t cooperate with political plans
Mayor Tiffany Henyard of Dolton, Illinois, is facing a lawsuit for allegedly wrongfully terminating an employee in the latest string of controversies facing the self-described “super mayor” in the south-of-Chicago suburb.
Former maintenance manager Dwayne Thrash stated that he believes his refusal to cooperate with Henyard and her assistant Keith Freeman in firing another employee is what got him fired. He also alleged that he was terminated after being accused of workplace violations that occurred while he was on scheduled vacation. The lawsuit cites the First Amendment’s right to freedom of speech and the 14th Amendment’s right to due process as the basis of the suit.
“Ever since Henyard became Mayor of the Village of Dolton and Supervisor of Thornton Township, she and her closest allies within the Village of Dolton and Thornton Township, including Freeman, have terminated the employment of several individuals they feel pose a political threat to Henyard and her public image, and/or who run afoul of Henyard and/or Freeman by defying their wishes,” the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit accuses Henyard and Freeman of asking Thrash to help them find a way to fire Thornton Township Trustees of Schools attorney Sarie Winner to replace her with Del Galdo Law Group LLC, which is allegedly Freeman’s preferred law firm. Thrash did not attend the meeting because he did not want to collude with “schemes and conspiracies.”
While on vacation, Thrash was notified that he was terminated effective immediately for “insubordination and unsatisfactory work performance” and “misconduct.” He was reportedly on a preplanned and approved vacation when both violations were said to have occurred.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The lawsuit said Thrash planned to stay with the township for the remainder of his career and that he was “a dedicated employee that enjoyed the work he did.”
Since becoming mayor in 2021, Henyard has been involved with a number of scandals, including allegations of financial mismanagement, corruption, and fraud.