Two men filed a lawsuit against Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard and others, alleging they were injured in a brawl at a Thornton Township meeting. NBC Chicago’s Regina Waldroup reports.
Two men who said they were injured in a large fight last month at a Thornton Township board meeting are suing several people they say are related to the brawl.
The fight broke out Jan. 28 shortly after activist Jedidiah Brown called Township Supervisor Tiffany Henyard an expletive.
The insult sparked a fight in the back of the room, with punches thrown, people jumping on tables and television monitors smashed. Henyard, who also serves as the mayor of Dolton, and her boyfriend Kamal Woods were in the middle of the melee.
"There's this confrontation," said Matthew Custardo, the plaintiff’s attorney. "Kamal Woods pushes and punches Lavelle Redmond. He takes a swing at him. There's lots of video out there. ... [Henyard] attacks Lavell Redmond first, hits him maybe twice. … And then she goes right in on Jedediah Brown."
Both Brown and Redmond say they were attacked and injured for exercising free speech. They also claim Henyard was a participant.
The men have filed a civil lawsuit for assault, battery and emotional distress, naming Henyard, her boyfriend, a village of Dolton employee, Thornton Township and South Holland police as defendants.
"I take responsibility for my part in all of this, but it's under constitutionally protected lawful activity," Brown told NBC Chicago. "I can say what I want to say, but at no time should a citizen feel that they will be attacked by an elected official."
Both men said they filed police reports with the South Holland Police Department, but no one was arrested. NBC Chicago reached out to the department and did not get a response.
"She is to be held at the same standard as we all are with the judicial or federal," said Redmond of Henyard. "She's not exempt from that."
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"It was disheartening," Brown said, "for me to see the police after being attacked tell me that they would not investigate this."
An attorney representing Henyard said the claims made in the lawsuit are false.
"I'm sure it'll be dismissed before it gets off the ground," said Beau Brindley, Henyard's attorney.
Brindley also claimed a weapon was involved.
"The man brought a knife into the meeting hall, and he swung that knife at Kamal Woods," Brindley said. "People got cut. So that's a fact. And now he wants to claim that he's a victim, that the mayor attacked him. It's on video. The mayor didn't do anything to him."
Custardo said the claims about his client having a knife are absolutely false and said the videos of the fight speaks for itself.
"The use of violence against individuals who are simply advocating for transparency and accountability in the community, that's just unspeakable and it's unacceptable," Custardo said.
Both men are asking for compensation for medical bills and attorney’s fees among other things. They are seeking a jury trial.
