Illinois’ self-described “super-mayor” Tiffany Henyard is facing renewed calls for her resignation amid a state investigation into claims that she tried to silence a subordinate who accused a trustee of sexual assault.
The state Department of Human Rights has launched a probe into a pair of complaints filed against the Dolton Mayor’s Office, in which a former assistant claims that she was sexually assaulted by a trustee while on a taxpayer-funded trip to Las Vegas, according to WGNTV.
The victim claimed she started to feel “disoriented” and “extremely lightheaded” after having dinner with the unidentified trustee on the Vegas trip, according to WGNTV, which obtained a copy of the complaint.
She then allegedly woke up the next morning in the trustee’s hotel room with no memory of how she got there and was experiencing physical discomfort.
The Illinois Department of Human Rights is investigating claims that Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard retaliated against an employee who accused a trustee of sexual assault. Village of Dolton
A separate complaint filed by Officer Byron Miles, part of Henyard’s $1 million security detail, claims that the trustee called and FaceTimed him the night of the alleged assault and boasted about bedding the woman.
“There was some suggestion that the employee may not have had the ability to consent,” the complaint says, according to WGNTV.
It says Miles requested the trustee switch to a video call so that he could see the situation for himself in his capacity as a law enforcement officer who had just been informed of a possible crime.
The trustee then “panned the camera toward a bed where [he] could see a woman who was partially undressed,” according to the complaint.
“The trustee then moved the camera to various private areas of the women’s body, displaying them on the screen, at times moving or removing articles of clothing.”
A complaint says that when the employee told Henyard about the alleged sexual assault, the mayor said she would “take care of it” before placing the woman on unpaid medical leave. Instagram/stylemebrandon
When the woman and Miles spoke to Henyard about the alleged incident upon their return from the trip, she initially appeared “shocked.”
She said that if the information was to be made public, the assistant would be “ruined” and all the work she had done for the village would be lost, according to NBC Chicago.
The former employee claims the mayor then told her she would “take care of it” and to trust her.
But just a few days later, the former employee said she was placed on unpaid medical leave without her consent.
When she tried to ask officials about when she could return to work, they refused to answer her questions, WGNTV reports.
Henyard is also facing calls for her resignation amid probes into her lavish spending. Tiffany Henyard / Facebook
Thornton Township trustee Christopher Gonzalez called the allegations serious at a board meeting on Tuesday.
“It is just unacceptable, it is disgusting,” he said, according to NBC Chicago.
“If that is true that there was an assault and an attempt at a coverup… that is unacceptable.
“If all these things are proven and action-taken — I don’t see how she could continue as township supervisor,” he added of Henyard’s position with the town.
But the trustee blasted the accusations as a “total and complete fabrication” in comments to WGNTV.
He insisted he was only trying to help his female colleague, whom he believed was intoxicated and on drugs.
“This is what you get for trying to help people,” he claimed.
Henyard last week vetoed a measure that would have opened a village probe into her spending. NBC 5 Chicago
Village officials also said in a statement that they conducted an investigation into the claims, led by an independent third-party company.
They said Miles was interviewed as part of the probe and denied knowing anything about the allegations, and the alleged victim “refused to cooperate,” they told NBC Chicago.
“This is nothing more than two disgruntled employees trying to make off with the taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars,” the statement said.
“The village looks forward to defending [against] these allegations and pursuing all other available remedies to the village.”
The Post has also reached out to the Department of Human Rights and to Dolton village officials for comment.
She is now being investigated by the FBI for her alleged misuse of taxpayer dollars. Instagram/tiffanyhenyard
Meanwhile, the FBI is also reportedly investigating Henyard’s alleged misuse of taxpayer dollars and resources, including her massive spending on out-of-town trips like the voyage to Vegas, according to Fox 32.
Agents have also inquired about the hundreds of thousands of dollars the village paid in police overtime for Henyard’s personal security detail, her alleged use of public employees and tax dollars for personal benefit, and the holding up of licenses to certain businesses.
But Henyard vetoed a village resolution calling for its own investigation of her spending last week, claiming it was the result of personal attacks against her.
“As you can see, our village, our community, myself, we are under attack,” Henyard said at the village board meeting. “It’s a shame that people can come to meetings and just tell one side of the stories and not get the entire side of both stories.”
She claimed that the village board was “a boys club” that doesn’t want women like her leading, with Henyard vowing to “fight back” against the alleged smear campaign against her.
“I’m going to always fight for what’s right, and I always stay the course. And I will be victorious when all the dust clears,” she added.
Vocal community member Sherry Britton, 55, said she voted for Henyard — and now wishes she hadn’t.
“It was a vote that I regret,” she said. “Please put that in there! It was a vote that I regret deeply. When she got into office, she just shut everyone out and she went in the opposite direction. She became this tyrant and dictator.”
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