VILLAGE SETTLES FEDERAL DISCRIMINATION SUITS

by Joseph Wiszowaty
SAUK VILLAGE |   The Village Board of Trustees approved settlements for Chief of Police Timothy Holevis and Sergeant Rebecca Sailsbery Tuesday night.

Lawsuits filed in Federal Court stem from discrimination allegations filed naming former Mayor Lewis Towers and former Village Trustee Enoch Benson.  The lawsuits were filed separately by attorney Patrick Walsh of Elliot Zinger and Associates of Chicago.

The settlements, according to Mayor David Hanks will give a cash payment of $103,000 to Holevis and $65,000 to Sailsbery.  Additionally, the Village will "continue negotiations with Sailsbery" to appoint her Deputy Chief of Police.  The Village taxpayers will be on the hook for the first $100,000 according to the terms of the Village's insurance carrier.

Holevis was appointed Chief of Police by Hanks last year, but still does not have a contract with the village identifying his term of employment.  Under Illinois law, the Chief of Police is appointed by the mayor, with the advice and consent of the Village Board; however, as demonstrated by Towers the mayor has extraordinary powers to appoint whomever he wants without approval of the Village Board provide a position is open.

Sailsbery was identified as the top candidate for Deputy Chief by the REM Group who was brought in to perform loss mitigation by the Village's insurance carrier.  REM was later paid by the Village to search for a Chief of Police, once Hanks appointed Holevis they were requested to search for a Deputy Chief.  REM identified Sailsbery as the top Deputy Chief of Police candidate, however, she has yet to be formally appointed.  Sailsbery previously has served as Deputy Chief of Police up until the controversial appointment of Frank Martin was approved in 2010.

Holevis, Sailsbery and now former Village employee Lisa Gibons filed a joint federal lawsuit, charging among other things discrimination against the Village during Martins brief tenure as Chief.  The Village settled this action for several hundred thousand dollars.